One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates (DiscontinuedAgain)
by Espada D. Jurabi
Summary: (No Summary
1. Monkey D Belle

**_Jurabi: Heeeeelloooooo! This is Espada 4 Jurabi here giving you a new story (or the same one depending on where you came from) about One Piece and how I envision what happens after Luffy finds the One Piece and everything. I believe that Nami will develop feelings for Luffy that he will soon realize and the two have romance and then get married and then share beds…ya know. ;)_**

 ** _Once again, I'd really like to thank EVERYONE who's submitted an OC for this story. I just love it when people are willing to trust me with their character. I promise I won't let any of you down. As thanks for your dedication, please enjoy this first chapter._**

 ** _DISCLAIMER: I, Espada 4 Jurabi, do not own One Piece._**

 ** _One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda-senpai and Oda-senpai alone. Please support the official release. :)_**

 ** _One Piece the Oathkeeper Pirates Opening 1: Stella Glow Opening_**

* * *

 **Monkey D. Belle**

"…This island…this world…is just too small." A female figure whispered to herself as she watches the full moon on the beach of Foosha Island. She wore a black hooded coat that covered her facial appearance. In her right arm, she carried a body covered in a white sheet. The female figure walked over to a nearby palm tree and set the body down. "Here we are, boy. This is an empty island similar to that of a prison, so I imagine you'll be quite at home. She said as she removed the sheet to stare at a half-asleep boy, "Take this as punishment for your failures."

The boy who was wrapped up in the white sheet had a short, slim build, shoulder-length jet-black hair and thin, blue eyes. He wore a short sleeve black shirt with a long-sleeve white shirt underneath it with a belt to hold up his blue jeans which have a tear just above the knee of the left leg along with blue tennis shoes.

"And one more thing." The female figure said before she turned away from the half-awake boy, "We never had this conversation…ever."

The boy watched as the woman walked away from him after she spoke those words. He didn't understand what was going on anymore, but he didn't care anyway. All he did was close his eyes to escape from reality.

Nearby the area, the back doors of a bar opened up as the woman named Makino walked outside with a garbage bag in her hand. "Whew, those visitors have been more active today..." She said with a tired yawn as she placed the garbage bag inside the trash can.

Just as she was about to go back inside the bar, she spotted something out of the corner of her eye. She turned to the direction and saw a figure sitting by a palm tree. "Hello?" She called out to the figure as she slowly walked towards it. When she circles around the tree, she saw a boy lying beside the tree. "Sir? Are you okay?" She asked as she shook the unmoving boy. "Hey! You shouldn't be out here this late!" She yelled in an attempt to wake him up with a loud noise, but the boy remained still in his sleep. Fearing that the boy could be in a coma, Makino quickly took him inside the bar and laid him down on a bed. "Well…I hope you get better soon, whoever you are." She said before she turned off the lights in the room.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"…Where am I…?" The boy asked in his mind as he slowly opened his eyes. When he looked at his surroundings, he saw nothing but pitch-black darkness as far as the eye could see.

 _"Your heart..."_ A mysterious voice suddenly said.

"Who's…there?" The boy asked when he heard the voice. When he looked below him, he landed on a stain glass half of which appeared to be torn off.

 _"I cannot tell you my name, but I can tell you that I heard your pain in my dreams."_ the voice answered.

"And this is…" The boy whispered, "…my heart. Why are you in my heart?"

 _"Your cries for help brought me here. I saw your heart shining in the distance and followed that light here."_ The voice replied.

The boy placed his right hand on his chest and said, "Yeah…that was my light, but my heart is fractured." He stared at the pieces of the glass that were missing. "And now…the little I have left is slipping away."

 _"No need to worry, because I can share a piece of my heart with yours."_ the voice told him.

"Huh?" The boy asked in confusion. Suddenly, the broken parts of the heart stain glass began to reform anew as sparkles of light flew in the air around him.

 _"See? Our hearts have touched. Now nothing else will slip away, and one day…you'll be strong enough to win back the part that already did."_ The voice explained to him.

"Right. Thanks." The boy said.

 _"It's time to wake up now. All we need to do is…"_

"Open the door." Both of them call out as the boy's heart stain glass began to change. The white coloring on the glass began to scatter into white particles. The white on the glass turned into a green color that showed the boy on the heart glass. The boy looked up at the dark sky with his grateful smile. "Thank you..."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

On the very next day, the boy's ocean blue eyes fluttered open. The first thing he saw was a working ceiling fan. His gaze then turned to the rest of the neatly organized room he slept in. "Where am I?" He asked as he stood up from his bed.

"Oh yes! You're awake!" A female voice shouted from behind. Suddenly, something tackles the boy from behind and knocked him to the ground.

"H-Hey!" The boy yelped in surprise.

"It's a good thing Makino-san found you when she did; otherwise, you might have gotten frostbite. Winter is in season after all." A female figure told him.

The boy fixed his sightings on the voice and saw, standing before him, a young, slim, orange-haired girl with dark-brown eyes. Her hair appeared to be done in layers giving it a wavy look with her bangs pinned back with a flower pin. She wore a purple gai shirt with matching sweat pants and brown sandals.

"Hi, there! My name is Monkey D. Belle." Belle introduced herself as she gave the boy a childish yet cheerful smile.

"U-um…where am I?" The boy asked the girl.

"Hold on, did we just skip the part where you introduce yourself to me? That's not nice at all!" Belle said as she puffed her cheeks out in a pouty fashion.

"Oh, I didn't mean that. Sorry…I'm…um…" The boy's voice grew silent as his gaze turned to the wooden floor, "...I don't have a name…"

"Aw, why not? Mom and Dad gave me a name." Belle told him.

"I…do not know why" The boy replied.

"Oh well, I guess I'll have to give you one, but first why don't I take you to my place. It isn't that far away." Belle offered him her hand, "Come on, you can trust me."

"But we've just met…" the boy reminded her.

"So? It doesn't mean I can't help you." Belle replied as she took him out of the room to meet Makino, who was cleaning the glass cups. "Makino-san, is it alright if I take this boy to my place?"

"Sure, it's no problem to me, Belle-chan." Makino answers as she turned to the boy, "And how are you feeling?"

"Um..." The boy didn't know what to say to her. All he could do was gaze at the floor.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Makino said, "I'm Makino. You were sitting against a palm tree last night while I was taking out the trash."

"I was?" The boy asked.

"Yeah, I had to bring you into the resting area of this place," Makino said.

"...Thank you, Makino." the boy whispered.

"Oh, it was no trouble at all. So what exactly were you doing out there in the cold all alone, Mr..." Makino asked.

"...I don't even know how I even got there, to begin with, let alone my own name." The boy said, "I'm sorry, but...where am I?"

"Foosha Island. It's a rather run-down island, but it's a good place for people to relax." Belle explained.

"Hm...no knowledge of where you are...and no knowledge of your own name...Do you by chance have amnesia?" Makino asked.

"Amnesia?" The boy asked.

"A deficit in memory caused by brain damage, disease, or psychological trauma. This boy, here, has probably lost his memories." Makino explained.

"He did? Is there any way to get them back?" Belle asked.

"I don't know. It depends on how he lost his memories." Makino told them, "Maybe you should have a talk with your mother about this, Belle."

"Sure thing. Come on, new friend." Belle said.

"Wait, how can we be-"

"No questions now, come on!" Belle interrupted him as she pulled on his hand and lead him out of the bar.

"Say hi to Dadan for me, Belle!" Makino shouted.

"I will!" Belle shouted back before they left.

Not long after the two left the village, a squad of Marines walked into the bar. All of them were led by a large orange-haired marine male with a muscular build.

"Is this the place?" The marine figure asked with an intimidating low voice.

"Y-Yes sir." An intimidated marine soldier replied.

"Hello, how can I help-" Makino's statement was cut off when she saw a gun pointed straight at her face.

"You can help by shutting your mouth and cooperation with me, lady." The dark marine told her with a smirk. "Tell me: Where is Monkey D. Belle?"

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"I'm home!" Belle called as she and her amnesiac friend arrived at a dormant house at an open plain in the middle of the forest of Mt. Colubo.

"Quite the setting you choose as a home, Belle." the boy commented.

"Well it's the best place for my mom to grow her tangerines," Belle told him as she opened the door to their house. "Hello? Is anyone in here?" She called out, but there is no response.

"Is it always this quiet?" The boy asked.

"No way in hell. Must be off at Dadan-san's place then." Belle said as she closed the front door, "It's not that far. Follow me."

Belle led the boy to Dadan's house which, as she said, was not far from her house. However, even from a distance, they could hear the sounds of a major argument.

"Dadan! Just calm down, it's just natural for him to grow up!" A familiar female voice shouted.

"N-Natural for him to grow up?! That would be the same thing as saying it is natural for him to think!" A bawling old lady's voice shouted back.

"Oh boy, Dadan must have gotten drunk again." Belle sighed as she rubbed her head, "Stay here for now. Things might get a little rough."

"Okay." The boy said.

Belle took in a deep breath before she kicked the door wide open, "HEEERRRE'S BELLE!" She screamed in order to get the attention of everyone in the room.

"B-Belle?" Belle's mother, Nami, asked in shock.

"Hi, Mom! Hi, Dadan! Hi everyone!" Belle shouted as she waved at them.

"B-BELLE-CHAN!" A drunk Dadan bawled as she wrapped the girl in a hug.

"There, there, Dadan-san. I know you miss Dad when he was younger…but we all grow up, like me." Belle cooed as she patted her old godmother's back.

"Why are you making it worse, Belle?!" Nami asked.

"One more thing: Please don't get drunk. It's very bad for your health." Belle advised.

" ***sniff*** O-Of course, Belle-san. I'm just…I just feel like I'm getting too old." Dadan whimpered with a slight chuckle.

"Don't say that word 'old'. You're a senior citizen and you have more knowledge than any of us." Belle told her. "Now no more crying, alright?"

"Y-Yes," Dadan replied as she wiped her tears away.

"Shishishi! That's my Princess!" A familiar cheerful voice said.

Belle felt rubbery arms wrap around her waist and was pulled into a hug by her father, Monkey D. Luffy.

"Hi, Dad!" Belle said as she returned the hug to her father.

"I'm so proud of you, calming down the raging bull like that," Luffy said as he cuddled his daughter.

"Who are you calling a bull, brat?!" Dadan shouted at Luffy. When she tried to show her bull side, she was pulled back Magra and Dogra.

"Dadan-san! Please compose yourself!" Dogra pleaded.

"Y-Yeah, we don't want another incident happening!" Magra shouted.

"Dad, don't tell me Dadan-san's been like this all day while I was gone," Belle said.

"Unfortunately, yes. We're glad you got here when you did, Belle." Nami told her, "But what brought you back so early?"

"I brought a new friend. Hey, new boy! You can come in now." Belle called out as the boy with amnesia peaked in the house.

"That's me, right?" The boy asked. After seeing a nod from Belle, he hesitantly walked into the room.

"Oh, hello there." Nami greeted the boy, "My name is Nami. The bawling woman over there is Dadan. I'm sure you've already met my daughter."

"Yes, I have." The boy replied.

"And I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the one who will be King of the Pirates." Luffy declared.

Nami's eyebrow twitched as she lightly bopped Luffy on the head, "You're already King of the Pirates, idiot."

"Oh, that's right." Luffy chuckled.

"Dad you're so silly! I am surprised unknown boy here didn't react at all." Belle told him.

"He didn't?" Luffy asked.

"If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?" Nami asked the boy.

"Why do I keep getting asked questions like this? I don't know. The woman you name Makino says I've lost my memories." The boy explained.

"I see…just like Sabo no doubt," Luffy says.

"Sabo?" the boy asks.

"Nothing, just a sense of deja vu. Anyways, let's try and get this boy's memory back." Luffy said.

"And how are we going to do that?" Nami asked.

"No idea," Luffy replied.

"Hey unknown boy is there anything you can remember at all. At least one clue that can help us?" Belle asked.

The boy's eyes widened in realization as he whispered, "…Grandline…"

"The Grandline?" Dadan asked when she heard the boy's words.

"I…I'm from the Grandline." The boy told them as he tried to dig deeper for more memories.

"So how did you end up on Foosha Village if you're from the most dangerous sea in the world?" Nami asked.

"I…don't know, but I do know is that I'm from there, and maybe all the memories I've lost will come back to me once I get there." The boy explained, "I'm certain of it."

"So you plan on heading over to Sea Hell then?" Dadan asks. When she saw the boy nod in response to her question, she sighed and said, "Listen, kid, let me explain to you the rude awakening waiting for you if you cross over from the Four Blues over to the Grandline and I am very sure Luffy and Nami will vouch for me."

"Whatever explanation you have won't change the fact that I need to go over there. I don't even know my own name or if I have parents like Belle so that's why I need to take the risk." The boy said.

"So you're willing to risk even your life to sail into the Grandline?" Belle asked.

"Yes." The boy replied.

"Well then, you're in luck because-" Belle's statement was cut off by a cry from outside.

"L-Luffy-san! Nami-san! Belle-san!" A voice screamed.

Everyone ran outside and saw a man from Foosha Village running towards them.

"What's wrong?" Nami asked the man.

"M-Makino…the bar…some Marines are holding her hostage…demanding for Belle." The village gasped out.

"What?!" Luffy asked as his face grew dark.

"Marines?" The boy asked.

"Th-their leader said that he will kill her if anyone but Belle faces them." the villager explained.

Luffy growled menacingly as he stormed off towards Foosha Village.

"Hold up, Luffy!" Nami shouted as she ran in front of her husband to stop him.

"Nami! Outta my way, I have to save Makino-san!" Luffy warned.

"I know. I want to save her too, but if we barge in on them, Makino-san is dead." Nami said.

"Then…what should we do?" Luffy asked.

"Give them what they want, of course," Belle answered as she walked up to them with a confident smile.

"Belle-san?!" Dadan yelled in surprise, "No way in hell you're going to-"

"If those Marines are looking for me for the reasons I am assuming, then we should be able to easily save Makino." Belle said, "Don't worry, I may be hyperactive but I am my mother's daughter."

"So you have a plan?" Nami asked.

"Yes, and it's one without any flaws." Belle said as she turned to her amnesiac friend, "Unknown boy, you're helping out on this one."

"Um…sure?" The boy asked with uncertainty as he walked with Belle and her family to Foosha Village.

"Oh, no good can come from this." Dadan groaned in frustration as Magra and Dogra give her reassuring pats on the back.

"Dadan-san~! You're coming too, right?!" Belle shouted from afar.

"Of course! No one gets to threaten Makino and live to tell about it." Dadan declared as she, Magra, and Dogra followed suit.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Ah! There's nothing like drinking a barrel of booze!" The dark marine leader said as he drank a large barrel of booze to the last drop before he threw it at the body of his fourth dead victim.

"These three are the last ones in the bar, sir." A marine says showing the man a frightened family.

"Oh? I guess I missed some of the hiding rabbits." The marine leader said with a smirk, "Now which one of you should I start with? The father, the mother, or little girl?"

"If I had a weapon in my hand right now, I would kill you for scaring my daughter, you bastard!" The father shouted.

The marine leader chuckled evilly as knocked the father on the ground with a simple kick, "You're in no position to be making threats here, monkey. There are many things I tolerate in this world and a remark such as yours is not one of them!" He said as he pointed the gun towards his next victim.

"D-Daddy!" The little girl shouted as she was held back by her crying mother.

"Sorry to make you cry, kid, but your daddy ain't coming back from this one." The marine leader said, "Don't worry, you won't be separated from him for too long."

"Stop!" Makino shouted in order to stop the marine leader, "I will tell you where Belle is. Let these people go, now."

The man smirks as he keeps the gun onto the father, "Not until you actually tell me. Then we have a deal." He said as he released the safety lock on the gun.

"She's at a house deep in the forest of Mt. Colubo. Just head straight out the village and follow the path. There should be the house with lots of tangerines growing." Makino explained.

"I'm glad we finally came to an agreement." the marine leader said as he let the family run out the bar. "Alright, men, tie her up and bring her along."

"What?" Makino asked in shock.

"After all, we still need a hostage to convince Belle to rejoin." The marine leader explained. "It seems like the two of you know each other very well; after all, why else would you allow four people to die when you could have easily told me?"

"…" Makino stayed completely silent.

"Let's hurry up and bring the hostage with us men. We can kill her once we have Belle join the Marines again." The man says.

In the distance, Luffy and Nami watched the events occurring from an alleyway. Luffy's anger rose after he heard what they were going to do with Makino from the marine in black.

"Not yet, Luffy…" Nami whispered.

"I can't wait, Nami. Gear Second is all I need. They won't see it coming." Luffy growled as he prepared to use Gear Second.

"LIKE HELL WE WILL, HAXEL!" a marine soldier shouts.

Luffy stopped in his tracks when he heard the sudden voice and looked at a marine who was defying his leader's orders.

"I don't know about everyone else, but I will _never_ harm any innocents, even if it's an order, Captain Haxel!"

"That's right!" another marine agreed. "What have these people done to deserve this?! If Belle doesn't want to come back with us, then we shouldn't force her to!"

Having enough of the backtalk, the marine leader named Haxel killed the two that spoke against his order without a second of hesitation. Glaring at the rest of his soldiers, he said, "If you don't want to end up like these two, I suggest you do what I say and tie our hostage up." Most of the Marines were frozen where they stood either in fear or anger towards Haxel.

"There's no need to take a hostage," A voice calls, "Cause I'm right here, Haxel."

All of the Marines, including Haxel, turned to the entrance and saw Belle enter the bar.

"Belle-san!" Makino shouts in concern.

"There she is, Luffy…" Nami whispered to Luffy, "Get ready."

"Got it," Luffy whispered back.

"Listen to me carefully, Haxel. I said it once and I'll say it thousands of more times if I have to!" Belle yelled. "I won't join the Marines again! Now let Makino go!"

"Too bad," Haxel replied. "And here I thought that you'll join if I take the girl with me. But I guess you don't care if I do that, do you?"

"I don't have time for twisted words. If you are that eager to be pounded to a pulp, you could have at least challenged me properly instead of stooping so low as to take hostages." Belle said.

"Don't make me laugh, Belle. This island lacks fighters. Even if there are some fighters like you on this island, they'll be no match against the Marines. You, yourself, are one of us, Belle, so you should come back."

"If you are truly a Marine, why would you _force_ me to join you?! I told you many times why I won't return to my duties!" Belle said.

"I see. Perhaps I should make a reason for you to come back to us then." Haxel said as he pointed his gun at Makino.

"You wouldn't dare!" Belle yelled. She hid the tiny smirk on her face after she saw something Haxel didn't see.

"Oh, but I will. I'll kill every last person on this island starting with this woman!" Haxel threatened, "I'll give you one last chance. Join us, or watch your best friend and everyone else on this backwater island die."

"No…damn…way," Belle replied.

"Suit yourself," Haxel said as he pulled the trigger.

 **BANG**

"…Are you sure you hit your target, Haxel?" Belle asked as she now revealed her smirk to all the marines in the room.

"Huh…?" Haxel turned around and saw that Makino was nowhere to be seen, "What the-?! Where did she-?!"

Underneath them, Makino hugged Dadan, Dogra, Magra, and the new boy who dug the holes to help her escape. "Thank you for saving me, everyone!"

"No thanks needed, Makino-san. I can't wait to see Belle kick his ass." Dadan tells her.

"So…about the Marines…" The boy asked.

"No need to worry, we'll explain at a later time. Let's just enjoy the show!" Dogra cheered.

"But what about Belle?" The boy asked.

"You ask too many questions," Magra said, "You're in for a treat since this will be the first time you see Belle-san fight."

Back up above them, Belle felt much entertained from seeing the anger written on Haxel's face, "What's wrong, grumpy pants? Don't have a hostage to threaten me with?!"

"Oh, you will regret this soon! Men, go out and kill eveeee…" Haxel's eyes, along with the eyes of all of his men, widen in horror.

"Oh right, did I forget to mention that my parents are here?" Belle asked sarcastically.

Luffy and Nami slowly walked into the bar and glared intimidating daggers at the Marines.

"So…which one of you bastards were stupid enough to lay a hand on Makino-san?!" Luffy asked as he cracked his fists.

"You all made a grave mistake going after my daughter. I'll have to teach you all that ticking off a mother is the last thing you want to do!" Nami growled at them as her Clima-Tac sparked off lightning.

Every single marine, except Haxel, retreated to the furthest wall away from the two infamous pirates.

"I-It's them! I-I knew this would happen, Haxel!" A marine shouted in fear, "Both Monkey D. Luffy and CaBurglarur Nami's bounties total to 6 billion 450 million beris! We're dead sliced-up meat!"

"…If any of you want to run with your tails between your legs, be my guest!" Haxel shouted. "We all signed up for this job and I, sure as hell, am not letting these pirates intimidate me!"

"So you're willing to stand and fight, Haxel?" Belle asked as she stood alongside her parents, "You did say you were going to kill _everyone_ in this village."

"Hehe…don't get so full of yourself just because your mommy and daddy are here, brat." Haxel says, "That's what you're doing now, aren't you? Hiding behind their backs like a coward."

"Don't you dare say another word about my daughter!" Luffy yelled as he felt his own blood boil in rage. Just when he was about to attack, Belle quickly stood in front of him to stop him.

"Why Haxel are you proposing a challenge?" Belle asked.

"Yes, unless you're too scared to accept it," Haxel replied with a smirk.

"Let me guess: You and I fight one-on-one. If I win, you leave the village for good." Belle said.

"And if I beat you, you join the Marines again." Haxel finished.

"Okay, that should be simple enough." Belle agreed.

"Belle, are you sure about this?" Nami asked.

"Come on, let me beat him to a pulp!" Luffy pleaded.

"This guy thinks he can threaten to kill Makino-san, hurt dozens of innocent people, and claim that I am hiding behind your shadows." Belle said with her orange hair covering her facial expression, "I won't let anyone in this world come to that conclusion. I'll fight with my strength and win my own battles with the two of your cheering me on." She said as she showed her determined face, "That will be the oath the Queen of the Pirates will honor no matter what."

"…Shishishi, that's my Princess!" Luffy said as he ruffled her hair.

"Well if you say you can do it on your own, then you have my support. Go get 'em, girl." Nami cheered.

"Don't worry! Belle's got this fight in the bag." Belle said taking a fighting stance.

"Don't assume this will be easy for you, Belle. You're no match for me or my powers." When Haxel said that, his body slowly covered itself in black fur. As he grew little taller, a tail appeared behind him and his eyes turn into one of a panther's.

The amnesia boy's eyes widen in shock, "What…is that?" He asked.

"That, my friend, is the power of a Devil Fruit," Dogra answered.

"Devil Fruits?" The boy asked.

"Devil Fruits are mystical fruits that can give the eater many different and varying kinds of strange yet interesting abilities depending on the type and variation of the fruit itself." Dadan explains, "Like Luffy-san and Belle-san and that cat freak."

"Wow, that sounds amazing." The boy says.

"However, this power comes with a price. Devil Fruit Eaters lose the ability to swim and sink into the water like hammers." Makino explains.

"I see…so what Devil Fruit did Belle eat then?" The boy asks.

"You'll just have to wait and see," Magra replied. "Man I wish I brought something to eat so I can enjoy this to the fullest."

"Shivering in fear yet, Belle?" Haxel asked Belle as he finished his transformation, "I've moved up further in the ranks thanks to my Cat Cat Fruit: Model Panther. You better prepare yourself, because no one has ever even laid a finger on me in this form."

"...That's cute, furball." Belle replied with not the slightest bit concerned and hesitation.

That last word made Haxel twitch. All the marines in the room dropped their jaws at the insult.

"Hahaha! Nice one, Belle!" Luffy howled in laughter as Nami let out a little giggle.

" _Th... that foolish girl!"_ The boy said in his head. _"She shouldn't anger an opponent during a battle! It makes them more aggressive!"_

"Yes, that was the best, Belle-san!" Dadan cheered as she, Mogra, and Dogra howled in laughter.

"You dare call me that?" Haxel muttered.

"Aw, did I make the little kitty show his fangs?" Belle taunted.

Haxel's last nerve was plucked after that. "I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET TALKING DOWN TO ME!" The instant he screamed those words, he charged at Belle at full speed with the intent to kill her.

When Belle saw this, she quickly blocked him. She then saw his claws closing in on her, but before they could hit her, Belle back-flipped out of the way. When she landed next to a wall with her back touching it, Belle looked around for an opening so she could avoid Haxel's next attack. " _This place is too cramped for a fight like this,"_ She thought. That was when she had an idea. Belle then scanned the area and saw that she was standing next to a window.

"I HAVE YOU NOW!" Haxel yelled as he charged at Belle with his claws ready.

At the last second, Belle dodge-rolled out of the way and jumped out through the window, "You missed hairball!" She taunted as she ran off into the village.

Hearing that insult made Haxel even angrier, "THAT DOES IT! FORGET GETTING YOU TO JOIN! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU AS SLOWLY AS I POSSIBLY CAN!" He screamed as he chased after.

"B-Belle!" The boy shouted as he went after them.

"You think we should go after them, Luffy?" Nami asked.

"Nah, Belle can handle this. Let's stay here and make sure these punks don't try any crap." Luffy said still glaring at the frightened Marines.

"Of course, dear. Let's scare them to death together." Nami agreed.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

In the village, Belle continued to lead Haxel away from Makino's bar as well as other pedestrians. She looked around the area for a wide space big enough for her to fight while still keeping her strong lead ahead of the marine captain. The only place she saw that had no innocent bystanders was the docks. Knowing that was the best she could find yet also the riskiest place, Belle led Haxel there and then skidded to a stop to face him.

"So, you decided to die here," He asked as he stopped, "Well, it will be a bother to bury you when you die, so I'll simply toss you into the sea. Now that I think about it, maybe I should do the same for everyone else. Burying bodies will get my hands all dirty in blood."

Hearing the fact that he wouldn't spare any of her village friends made Belle really angry. Once she formulated a plan, she smirked provoked the marine once again, "Ha! Is that it? It seems you're all hiss and no scratch, kitty-cat." She taunted, "I was expected a lot more from you, judging from how highly you speak about yourself. You really are a pussycat."

Haxel's breathing grew longer and heavier as steam blew from his nose and ears, "I'll be sure to engrave those words on your tombstone!" He shouted as he charged straight towards the girl again.

The amnesiac boy arrived at the docks and saw Haxel getting ready to kill Belle, "BELLE!" He screamed.

"Dragon Form…" Belle whispered.

Suddenly, Haxel felt something stab him in the leg and then his whole body froze. "Wh-Wha…i-i-is…" He breathed, but he couldn't even form anymore words.

"Hehe, you fell for it like the idiot I knew you were, Haxel," Belle said as she pulled out something from Haxel's left leg.

The boy's eyes widen in shock as caught sight a tail behind Belle covered in scales, "What the…"

"Did you really forget about my Mythical Zoan Fruit: Model Dragon? Such a shame." Belle said. "It's more embarrassing that you fell for every one of my insults too. I spotted millions of chances to hit you with my Paralyzes Dragon Tail. I don't know how or why Jurabi even gave you your position." She could see Haxel's face was probably saying 'Damn you' or something else like that, but she only gave him a sly smirk before she walked away from his paralyzed body.

"Belle!" The boy shouted as he ran towards her.

"Oh, hey there no-name boy. Is Makino safe?" Belle asked.

"Yes she is." The boy said, "You did an amazing job fighting those Marines _and_ saving her."

"I wouldn't have done it without my parents, Dadan-san and her crew, and you. Thanks, no-name boy." Belle said.

"Oh, um…you're welcome…though Dadan did most of the digging." Ackmor said.

"You helped out in some way, shape, or form. My heart says that's enough." Belle said, "Let's head back. I'm getting a little hungry now."

"S-Sure." The boy said.

However before they could leave, they heard the sounds of footsteps coming their way. Facing the source, Belle and the boy saw a few marines heading towards them. Assuming that they've come to fight her and avenge their leader's defeat, Belle went back into her battle position but is left in shock when the marines only ran past them.

"Huh?" Belle asked in slight confusion.

That was when they heard applause. Turning to the source, they saw other Marines, many clapping and cheering for them. Some of the Marines were even dancing in joy at Belle's victory.

"What's going on?" The boy asked.

"Yeah, why are you all cheering for me?" Belle asked, "Aren't you all enraged that I defeated your captain?"

"No way! Everyone hated that bastard," A marine soldier explained. "He's been controlling us by using our own fear of dying."

"He was? What kind of marine would do something like that?" The boy asked.

"The kind Haxel is, that's for sure," Belle said.

"We were all hoping that someone put that asshole in his place." Another marine said, "Even if it was a pirate."

"We owe you our deepest gratitude." Another Marine said. "So, how can we ever repay you?" Another asks.

"He has a point there." "That girl saved our lives." "We should do something for her?"

Hearing those words, Belle just smiled in relief, since no one really had to die. Her happiness was ruined when she heard a certain man cursing at her.

"Damn...you..." Haxel breathed, "How dare you humiliate me…like this?"

"You had this coming for a long time, Haxel," Belle back-talked as she walked towards him. "You always use fear to make people do what you want. I may have tolerated that crap back with the Marines, but no more. They better punish you to the fullest for bringing dishonor to the Marine Oath, or I will personally go to Jurabi's office and file a complaint!" She shouted.

"Belle…" The boy was shocked by Belle's sudden change in personality.

"Pahaha…you're still talking about that stupid oath, kid…? You haven't…grown at all." Haxel chuckled weakly.

Belle did not want to argue with him and instead knocked him unconscious. As he collapsed on the floor, she then aid, "That for Makino-san." Afterward, she turned to the marines and nodded.

At Belle's gesture, some of the Marines handcuffed Haxel and escorted him onto their ship.

"Thank you again, for helping us. We'll be sure to turn Haxel into Headquarters." The new captain of the unit informed Belle.

"See that you do." Belle said, "I'm sure Jurabi just didn't realize that bastards like him were in power."

"Jurabi?" The boy asked.

"As a token of our gratitude, I'm willing to give you and your infamous family a heads-up." The Marine captain said, "Once we turn Haxel in, we will have to do our job and inform Jurabi of your presence here."

"Ah…I wonder what I will do with this crucial information." Belle said sarcastically as she winked at him.

"Bah! What crucial information! Marines don't share classified information with pirates!" The Marine captain said as he returned to the Marine ship, "Alright men! We're heading out!"

"Yes, sir!" The marines shouted as the marine ship sailed away from Foosha Island.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Belle and Ackmor returned to Makino's bar to check up on her and the others.

"Makino-san, are you okay?" Luffy asked.

"I'm fine, thanks to everyone." Makino responded, "I'm glad you all came when you did."

The boy turns to Luffy's family, "Um, not that I want to spoil a chance for a celebration, but the Marines will be coming here soon."

"Yeah…" Belle said, "Though we already knew that was going to happen without that marine telling us so 'vaguely'.

"So…what do we do?" The boy asked.

"We leave, of course," Luffy replied.

"L-leave? Already?" Dadan asked.

"Yep, they'll obviously send the Admirals after us. I can't risk my home getting destroyed." Luffy explained as he gave them his cheeky smile, "Sorry, Dadan-san, but we have to leave again."

" ***sigh*** That's the pain of being a caretaker of a pirate, but it must be done. Now listen here, Luffy-san, you better keep Belle-san out of trouble, understand?" Dadan asked.

"Yep, I sure do. Let's hurry up and head back home quick, guys." Luffy said.

"Alright, off to another adventure!" Belle cheered as they leave the bar. "Bye everyone!"

"Goodbye, Luffy-san, Nami-san, Belle-san, and…oh my…we don't even know his name." Makino sighed, "I hope we see them again."

"No need to worry, we will, Makino-san," Dadan told her.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

While Luffy and Nami were getting ready to leave, Belle and her new friend walked over to a cliff that had a nice view of the ocean.

"I've always loved watching the ocean waves. You get this feeling when you are in a dream full of so many wonderful things that you don't want it to ever end." Belle said.

"It…does?" The boy asked.

"Yeah, you should try it before we go." Belle offered.

The boy sits down next to her and watched the ocean before him. He started to feel very peaceful and calm as he heard the sound of the waters splashing up against the rocks below the cliff.

"So?" Belle asked.

The boy snapped out of his trance and turned to her, "You weren't lying. I felt like I was dreaming."

"Told you. This place is really amazing." Belle said, "It's a darn shame I have to leave it."

"I'm sure there are other cliffs like this one." The boy said.

"Yeah, but this cliff is special to me." Belle said with a far-away look, "I made a promise to an important person on this very cliff. You remember what a promise is, right Ackmor?" She asked as she turned to the boy.

"Ackmor?" The boy asked completely caught off guard by the sudden name.

"Yeah, it's the name I came up with for you. Do you like it?" Belle asks.

"…uh…sure. It doesn't bother me at all." Ackmor said with a hidden smile.

"Aww…you don't like it, do you?" Belle asked.

"No! No! That's not it at all. I love it actually." Ackmor said, "Sorry, I'm not used to stuff like this."

Belle smiled, "Awesome, now Ackmor, would you like to join my crew?" Belle asked.

"Crew?" Ackmor asked.

"Yeah, a pirate crew where we will sail through the Grandline and accomplish our goals. I want to help you find your memories and you can help me fulfill my dream as well." Belle tells him.

"Well…I do need to go to the Grandline, so maybe I can tag along…And what is this dream of yours?" Ackmor asks.

"Heh, it'll knock your socks off. I, Monkey D. Belle will be…" Belle shouted out the name of her dream which surprises Ackmor quite a lot.

"R-Really…?" Ackmor asked.

"Yep, and I believe you and many others will help me fulfill that dream," Belle told him.

"Well…I guess I will come, but not as a part of your crew. Not yet at least…" Ackmor said.

"Oh if you're worried about getting the first-mate spot, don't worry," Belle said.

"Huh? Why?" Ackmor asked.

"Because I have a good friend who's already taken that spot," Belle answered with a smile.

"A friend?" Ackmor asked.

"Alright, guys! We're ready to sail off!" Luffy called out to them.

"Hey Dad, can you tell Ackmor where we're heading next?" Belle asked.

"Shishishi, we're heading to an island to meet a certain family friend. Belle's best friend/first-mate is waiting there." Luffy explained.

"This family much more intimidating than us," Nami said, "But don't worry. As long as you're with us, you'll be safe."

"To be honest, the parents' bounties total to 6 billion and 100 million beris." Belle told them.

"Just as much as your parents'?" Ackmor asked.

"Belle! How many times do I have to tell you not to mention our bounties?!" Nami shouted.

"S-Sorry, Mom." Belle stuttered in fear.

"Yeah, Zoro's family are really strong people too. I can't wait for you to meet them, Shishishi." Luffy said.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

On another island, a slash managed to cut a large tree in half. The slash came from a girl with raven black hair tied up into a bun with her bangs framing her face and intimidating black eyes unsheathes her purple sword that was tied in her purple sash around the waist of her flowery navy blue kimono robe over pink training pants with black sandals.

"Hey, Kai, you might want to dial it down a little on how hard you cut now." A familiar swordsman advised, "Otherwise you might end up cutting the entire forest."

"Come now, Zoro, let the girl give it her all." A familiar woman said as she watched from the sidelines.

"Robin, this is a serious training session for Kai. I don't want her going further than her limit." Zoro argued.

"No need to worry, Mother, Father." The girl said as she made one huge horizontal slash and then slowly sheathed her purple sword, "I hear that Belle is coming to bring me along on her journey to the Grandline. If I am to survive the hardships of the Grandline to reach my goal, I, Roranoa Kaisetsu, need to surpass my body's limit…and fulfill both of my promises." She said before she fully sheathed her sword.

And when she did, the entire forest was cut in half.

* * *

 ** _One Piece the Oathkeeper Pirates Ending 1: Sword Art Online Ending 2_**

 ** _Jurabi: Thank you very much for reading this chapter. I find many stories including my old one usually kill off Luffy at the beginning, but for this rewrite I decided to take the route rarely anyone takes. I am aware that Luffy's bounty is massively high, but he is the King of the Pirates after all. Anyways, I really am glad that you enjoyed this chapter, if not let me know why in the reviews. If you really loved this story and would want more of it, please leave a favorite and a follow. Thank you for reading and I'll see you next chapter._**


	2. Roronoa Kaisetsu

**Jurabi: Heeeeelloooooo~! This is Espada 4 Jurabi back with some more One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates! I'm here to let you know that some fanart has been drawn for some characters for this story including Belle. Just check out my profile and scroll down to my story or until you see some links to Tumblr. Those are where the drawings are located so please check them out because the artists work so _,_ sohard on them. Anyways, please enjoy chapter two.**

 **Previously on One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates…**

 _ **"And I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the one who will be King of the Pirates." Luffy declared.**_

 _ **Nami's eyebrow twitched as she lightly bopped Luffy on the head, "You're already King of the Pirates, idiot."**_

 _ **"Oh, that's right." Luffy chuckled.**_

 **And now…back to Oda-senpai's greatness.**

* * *

 **R** **oronoa Kaisetsu**

"Shishishi! So you named him Ackmor?" Luffy asked Belle. It had been a full day since Luffy and his family, along with Ackmor, set sail from Foosha Island in their a medium-sized boat.

"Yep, it really sounds good for him, right Ackmor?" Belle asked the boy.

"Yes it does, now that I'm getting used to it." Ackmor replied as he tried to hide a smile, "It feels...good to have a name."

"I know you've probably answered questions like this a lot, Ackmor, but do you at least, remember your family?" Nami asked.

"…Sorry…but I just don't remember a single thing about myself." Ackmor answered with a saddened face.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you a painful question like that." Nami said regretfully.

"It's okay." Ackmor said, "I don't know what having parents is like, so I shouldn't be too down about it…but then again," He whispered as he looked at the water that reflected his own image, "When I look you…I'm starting to feel envious of the bond you share with each other."

"Ackmor…" Belle said. She wanted to help the poor boy, but she didn't have the means to go about it the right way.

"Hey! You don't need just your real parents to be happy." Luffy said, "Another one of my nakama's family adopted a child of their own. All you need is to be a nakama too."

"Nakama?" Ackmor asked.

"Yeah, what do you say?! You can be Belle's nakama!" Luffy said.

"…Nakama…" Ackmor whispered. "Is that also what you call this first-mate of yours, Belle?"

"Yep, Roronoa Kaisetsu is her name. We met almost 9 years ago and became good friends." Belle explained. "Trust me, she's really kind like her mother."

"You also said that her family is an intimidating one…is it really?" Ackmor asked as he felt a shiver on his spine.

"Kaisetsu's family is indeed strong," Nami said, "But between you and me, Zoro gets sensitive around cute little girls."

"Little girls?" Ackmor asked.

"Yeah, remember that one time when I asked Uncle Zoro for cotton candy during the Year of the Rooster festival and all I had to do was give a puppy dog face," Belle asked.

"Yeah! And Zoro got you three of them," Luffy said laughing at the memory.

"Um...is this the same Zoro that Belle told me about," Ackmor asked a little confused, "The same Zoro that could cut someone the size of a mountain with one swing?"

"Yep~! That's Uncle Zoro~!" Belle said with a grin.

"Belle, you should know better than to not tell people the full story," Nami scolded.

"I'm sorry...I just didn't want to make Uncle Zoro look bad." Belle said.

"I think you made him seem like a doting Uncle and anything per say 'bad'," Ackmor corrected.

"Anyways, we should be at the Roronoa home in the morning, everyone. I asked Robin if our family could meet up so Belle and Kai can begin their journey." Nami said.

"That sounds like an awesome idea. I can't wait to see Kai again." Belle said with a smile.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Zoro and Robin returned to their library-themed home. There, a platinum blonde-haired girl who wore a collared, purple long-sleeved shirt with a light purple scarf to match, a long white skirt and purple boots waited for them outside the door.

"Mamma! Papa!" the girl called cheerfully as she jumped into the arms of her parents.

"How have you been, Olivia?" Robin greeted. "Playing swordswoman again while we were training?" She asked as she soothed Robin asks ruffling his youngest daughter's hair.

"It's not playing, Mom," Olivia said, "I'm training just as hard as Daddy and Kai are! I want to be just like both of them! Strong enough to cut even a mountain!"

Zoro let out a cheerful laugh as he picks Olivia up. "That's my girl! She doesn't take anything from anyone and deals back a mean punch. I love it!"

Olivia grinned from ear to ear as she gave her father a giant bear hug, "Thanks, Papa! I swear on the Roronoa name that I will make you the proudest dad that ever lived!"

"Don't worry, Olivia, I already am," Zoro said.

"Oh? Where's Kai?" Olivia said as she looked around for her older sister. "I thought she was with you."

"Kaisetsu is out on her usual patrol," Robin explained, "Though I don't see why she needs to. This island rarely gets any visitors."

"Kaisetsu's always trying to look out for us, but she really needs to dial it down with the protective stuff or it'll end up hurting her than helping us," Zoro said.

Olivia's eyes widen in horror, "K-Kai's going to get hurt?!"

Robin pulled her worrisome daughter into a hug and patted her head, "You needn't worry, Olivia. Kaisetsu will be just fine."

"B-But…" Olivia has a habit of worrying about her sister. Her love for Kaisetsu drives her to become a strong swordswoman as powerful as her father.

"Your mother is right," Zoro said as he crouched down to eye level with his daughter and gave her a reassuring smile, "Even if there's danger, Kaisetsu's more than strong enough to handle it."

"What if she can't handle it?!" Olivia asked still in her distressful mood.

"Then the Greatest Swordsman in the World will give her a hand!" Zoro stated holding his title with pride.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot how invincible you are, Papa!" Olivia said as she cheered up from her troubled state.

Zoro smiled again as he pulled Olivia into a hug just like Robin did and said, "That's the smile I want to see."

Olivia yawned a bit as she returned the hug, "Hehe, you're so warm, Mama, Papa. It makes me want to…" She didn't finish her statement because she had fallen into a deep sleep.

"Crap! She fell asleep before she got to take her bath!" Zoro shouted in shock.

"Not to worry, dear. I'm sure you can wake her up from her heavy sleep just as she does the same with you." Robin said with a giggle.

"I have to do it; otherwise, Olivia won't be able to eat dinner." Right on cue, Zoro's stomach began to growl. The swordsman let out a little awkward chuckled before rubbing his abdomen, "Man...all this training can put a man on an empty stomach." Zoro said.

As the two, with Zoro carrying the sleeping Olivia, entered their house, Robin said, "You should do that while I cook us all some dinner. I'm sure Kaisetsu won't take too long."

"You got it," Zoro said as he carried Olivia upstairs to try and wake her up.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Are we there yet, Nami?!" Luffy asked as his head rested on Nami's shoulder.

"For the tenth time, Luffy, no we're not! I specifically told you that we will get there by morning now get the hell off me!" Nami screamed as she punched him in the head.

"Ow…you're mean…" Luffy whined.

"Well, what'd you expect from your wife?" Nami asked. She looked over at Belle and Ackmor, who were still talking to each other, "Those two seem to be getting along quite well."

"Oh, they are?" Luffy asked, "That's great."

"So Belle, about that dream you said you had." Ackmor was cut off by a 'shh' from Belle.

"That is a secret between you and me. I'm hoping to fulfill that dream before I claim the One Piece that my dad decided to hide from me. So please can you keep it a secret until then?" Belle asked.

"Sure. It's a secret." Ackmor replied.

"Thank you so much, Ackmor," Belle said hugging the boy. "You're a lot nicer than I expected."

"H-Hey, not too tight!" Ackmor yelped in surprise.

"...Luffy...do you miss those days?" Nami suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Luffy asked in slight confusion.

"Don't you remember? You, Zoro, and me riding in those small boats in order to get to the next island." Nami said as she looks out towards the ocean, "We fought about a lot of things. Most of them were for petty reasons."

"Shishi, sorry Nami but I don't remember a lot of things from our adventure aside from the most important parts," Luffy admitted.

"Yeah, and I was stuck with telling Belle the story." Nami said, "But...it felt good talking about the good deeds you did."

"Ah, Nami, you don't have to thank me," Luffy said.

"I wasn't thanking you!" Nami shouted, "...I was simply reminiscing the past. So, Luffy, can you guess which part of the story I enjoyed telling Belle the most about?"

"...Mmm…" Luffy crossed his arms and thought about the question, "Me becoming the Pirate King?" He asked as Nami shook her head, "...Ah! Was is Sabo?" Again Nami shook her head. This time, Luffy dug deep into his memory for the answer, "Of course, our marriage and Belle and Merry coming into our lives."

"Those are indeed memories I hold dear in my heart; however, I never told Belle about our marriage or her and Merry's birth so those two don't count," Nami said with a giggle.

"Damnit! I want to get this right, but I can't put my finger on it!" Luffy shouted in frustration.

"Geez, I thought you would remember it. The first time you gave me your hat." Nami said in a disappointed tone.

"I didn't forget about that," Luffy said.

"You didn't?" Nami asked.

Luffy shook his head and said, "Nope, I just thought having our kids born was waaay more important to you than my hat."

"They are both important to me, Luffy," Nami said with a smile. "That moment when you comforted me can never be replaced by anything and anyone."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

For the past two hours, Kaisetsu patrolled around the beach of the island. She looked everywhere for any pirates, pirates, or marines that she needed to take care of. Fortunately, she spotted no signs of trouble.

"Good, we should be safe for tonight," Kaisetsu said.

However, when she was about to head home, she spotted something out of the corner of her eye. The swordswoman looked over at that direction and saw a small boat. On that boat were a group of three muscle-toned, dark-skinned men. They all wore black turtleneck shirts, brown and tan-patched pants and matching shoes, a red sash on their right arms, bright yellow wristbands.

"Just our luck...pirates." Kaisetsu thought as she witnesses the pirates land on the island, "No doubt that these are just scouts. I have no choice but to teach them a lesson."

"Hm...this place seems uninhabited." One of the pirates said.

"And sorta freaky too." Another pirate said. "Looks like no one's going to come to this place."

"Good for us! The Black Sun Pirates are in need of a base." The third red-haired pirate, who happened to be the leader of the scouting party, stated. The man wore a black outfit with torn edges and black fingerless gloves with gray wristbands.

"Um...Akoku, sir, do we really have to go through the woods?" The first pirate asked, "Isn't scouting the beach enough?"

"Not enough for our captain, and you two had best do your jobs or the captain will have your heads on a silver platter." The man known as Akoku said.

"B-but sir. Have you heard the rumor going around that this island is home to a demon?" The second pirate asked.

"Yes and that rumor is only as it is called: A rumor." Akoku said, "Rumors and I don't mix well together, so don't you dare open your mouth about something as stupid as hearsay."

"Sorry, sir! We won't do it again!" The pirates replied in slight fear etched on their hearts.

"My, my...it's a good thing you three came to this island." A female voice called, "I was starting to get bored."

The three pirates took out their curved blades, "Who's there?! Show yourself!"

"So few of you too? I guess most of your crew is made up of cowards then." Kaisetsu said as she appeared before them, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kaisetsu."

"Haha, don't tell me this broad is the demon you guys are talking about!" Akoku howled in laughter.

"When you put it that way, you're right." The second pirate said, "There's no way a girl could be the demon."

Kaisetsu felt a sudden surge of anger from hearing the last statement, "What the hell did you say, bastard?! I'll make you eat those words!" She shouted as she took out her sword.

"As if you will be able to do anything to us." Akoku said, "Run along home, girl before we really have to hurt that pretty face of yours."

"Heh! Right back at you." Kaisetsu said as she took out a blue stone, "It's been a while since I used this."

"What in the hell is that?" The second pirate asked.

"It's a rock, you dolt. A useless one at that." Akoku said, "Seriously, are you here to scare us or entertain us, girl? Cause you're doing a damn good job at looking like a laughing stock!"

"Hehehe...you'll see very soon. As long as you don't blink, that is." Kaisetsu said as she slowly scraped the rock against her katana like a whetstone.

"H-Hold on a minute...that rock…." The first pirate stuttered in slight fear.

"I've had enough of this childish act of yours! Prepare to d-" Akoku was cut off when Kaisetsu's katana suddenly turned into an ice blade.

"Murasaki Form: Snow Angel," Kaisetsu said.

"Oh, no...it's definitely her!" The first pirate said, "The demon in the rumor was said to have a blade of ice that froze anything it touches!"

"My, what a coincidence. I also happen to have a blade of ice." Kaisetsu said sarcastically, "What are the chances?"

"None! You are no demon!" Akoku shouted, "You are simply a girl who needs to be taught a lesson by yours truly!"

"Well if you believe you are right, then come at me with everything you've got." Kaisetsu said with a smirk, "Murasaki has been itching for a fight for a long time."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Yes! We're finally here!" Luffy cheered.

The next day, Luffy, Nami, Belle, and Ackmor arrived on the island Zoro and his family stayed at. The first thing they notice was the freezing air.

"I-I-is it just me or is it cold?" Belle asked as she covered herself.

"Odd, it shouldn't be." Nami said, "This island never has any cold weather."

"Must be Zoro then," Luffy said, "That guy can do anything."

"Really?" Ackmor asked, "He's...a weather god?"

"REALLY?! ZORO'S A WEATHER GOD?!" Belle asked in complete shock, "...It all makes sense now. He's terrible sense of direction is actually him reacting to changes in the weather!"

"R-REALLY?! THAT'S WHY HE GETS LOST ALL THE TIME?!" Luffy shouted in surprise, "All this time I thought it was something funny, but now that I think about it, Zoro might have better insight on weather than-" Before Luffy could finish, Nami angrily punched his face in.

"I DARE YOU TO FINISH THAT SENTENCE, MONKEY D. LUFFY!" Nami screamed as she continuously punched the straw hat boy.

Belle hid behind Ackmor as her body shook in fear from watching her mother beat the pulp out of her father, "S-So scary…!"

"Is this normal?!" Ackmor asked.

"Y-Yes, it's Mom's way of keeping us in line!" Belle squeaked.

"Are all mothers like this?" Ackmor asked.

"There are two types of mothers in this world: The pure-hearted ones and my Mom," Belle said.

"Come on, you two. The Roronoa Library should be beyond those hills." Nami said.

"The Roronoa Library?" Ackmor asked.

"Yeah, it's a very cool house with tons of books in it. So many that Auntie Robin decided to call it a library." Belle explained.

"Wow, I wonder how long it took to build that," Ackmor said.

"I'm not sure myself, but that house is a wonder in itself." Nami said, "Come on, it's this way." She said as she dragged Luffy's unconscious beaten body along with her.

After a few minutes of walking through the small forest, the group arrived at a large house that easily looked like a library in terms of height.

"Whoa…" Ackmor said as he stared at the Roronoa home.

"Neat, isn't it?" Luffy asked as he noticed a few cut trees, "Seems like Zoro and his kid have been training a lot."

"I'll say...all that brute does is train, train, and train," Nami said.

"Shishi, Kai's the same too," Belle said.

"You sure can't stop going on and on about this Kaisetsu person," Ackmor pointed out.

"Of course I can't! Come on, Ackmor, you have got to meet her," Belle said as she took Ackmor's arm and dragged him towards the house.

"Hey! Don't drag me!" Ackmor shouted.

"Shishi, Belle just can't wait, can she?" Luffy asked.

"That boy is in for a rude awakening if he is seriously going with her…" Nami muttered as she and Luffy followed Belle to the front door.

When Belle knocked on the door, her friend Kaisetsu opened it.

"Uncle Luffy? Auntie Nami?" Kaisetsu asked in shock.

"Hi there, Kai!" Luffy greeted.

"It's been a while," Nami said.

"Yeah, it really has! Honing your sword skill as always?" Belle asked.

"Belle!" Kaisetsu shouted wrapping her friend in a tight hug, "I'm so happy to see all of you!"

"Shishi, sorry I haven't been in touch. We were afraid that the Marines might intercept our transponder snail calls." Belle explained.

"No, I understand your actions quite well, Belle." Kaisetsu said as she turned to Luffy and Nami, "Welcome back, Uncle Luffy, Auntie Nami."

"Hi, Kai! How are your parents doing?" Nami asked.

"The same as usual: Dad and Olivia keep sleeping while Mom and I read tons of books. In all honesty, it has gotten a little boring so I'm very glad you all came." Kaisetsu said as she noticed Ackmor beside them, "And who's this?"

"Hey, I'm Ackmor. Well…Belle calls me Ackmor." Ackmor introduced himself.

"It's nice to meet you, Ackmor. My name is Roronoa Kaisetsu." Kaisetsu greeted as she examined Ackmor closely, "That's strange…"

"What is it?" Ackmor asked.

"You somehow seem quite different from other guys I've met. Where are you from?" She asked.

"I don't remember," Ackmor answered.

"You see, Ackmor lost all of his memories and the only way he can get them back is if he heads over to the Grandline," Belle explained.

"I see, why don't we head inside so that we can discuss this further," Kaisetsu said.

"Sure," Luffy said as Kaisetsu lead them inside the house.

"Hey Mom, we have visitors," Kaisetsu called.

Robin was sitting on a couch reading a book when she heard Kaisetsu call her. She looked up and saw her friends with her daughter, "Welcome, Luffy-san, Nami-san, and Belle-san." She greeted with a smile.

"Hi, Robin!" Luffy shouted.

"Auntie Robin!" Belle shouted as she ran towards her with the intent of hug-tackling her.

Robin stood up and moved to a side to avoid Belle's tackle, "Make yourselves at home while I prepare some tea." Robin said as she lifts Belle back up and gives her a hug. "Kaisetsu, could you go get your father and Olivia?"

"Yes, Mom," Kaisetsu said as she ran upstairs.

After Robin broke her hug with Belle, she decided to scold her, "Now what did I tell you about tackling people for hugs, Belle-san?"

"Sorry, Auntie…but I was just soooo happy to see you." Belle admitted. "How long has it been? Nine years?"

"Yes indeed. I too am happy to see all of you again." Robin said before she caught sight of Ackmor staring at the countless books, "And who might this be?"

Hearing Robin's question, Ackmor turned around to face her, "Hello, Belle calls me Ackmor. You can call me that if you want to." He introduced himself.

"Hello, Ackmor. My name is Nico Robin." Robin greeted, "I see that you are interested in the books of my library."

"I do?" Ackmor asked, "Well...I've never been to a library nor have I ever read a book."

"Not to worry, I could get you started on one if you want me to." Robin said, "Now then, tea anyone?" She offered as she carried cups of tea.

"Thank you very much, Robin-san," Nami said as she and Belle took the cup of tea while Luffy and Ackmor decline the offer. As they wait for Kaisetsu, Nami and Belle explain to Robin about Ackmor's amnesia problems.

"I see, so the only way you can recover your memory is by going to the Grandline," Robin concluded.

"Yeah," Ackmor replied.

"And that's why Ackmor's coming with us," Belle said.

"Kaisetsu…did you really have to wake us up so early?" Zoro asks as he, Olivia, and Kaisetsu return downstairs.

"I was just dreaming about me being an awesome swordswoman and you just had to ruin it~!" Olivia whined.

"Don't be like that, Olivia. You can dream about it again after you say hi to our guests." Kaisetsu said.

"Good morning sleepy heads~." Nami greeted.

"Luffy? Nami? Belle? You made it!" Zoro greeted.

"Hey! Zoro, it's awesome to see you!" Luffy shouted.

"Uncle Luffy!" Olivia shouted as she tackled Luffy in a tight hug.

"Shishishi, man Olivia, you've really grown. You're so heavy now…" Luffy commented as he struggled a little to stand up.

"Is this your little sister, Kai?" Belle asked.

"Yep, she's a fiery one." Kaisetsu explained, "She kinda reminds me of you."

"Come on, I'm not that energetic…am I?" Belle asked.

"Now the two families are together. I believe it's time to discuss our plans." Robin said.

"Agreed. Belle, Kaisetsu, and Ackmor have a long journey ahead of them." Nami said.

"Wait, Ackmor is coming with us?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Are you talking about this kid?" Zoro asked as he turned to Ackmor.

"Yes, they are. They call me Ackmor." Ackmor explained.

"What kind of greeting is that? You don't have a name for yourself or something?" Zoro asked as Ackmor shook his head.

"This boy has amnesia, Zoro. He doesn't remember anything about himself at all." Robin explained. "That's why he's going with our daughter to the Grandline."

"Well, three people are better than two." Zoro said, "If you want to join Belle's crew, you have my permission."

"But I don't want to join the crew. All I need are my memories back and that's it." Ackmor said.

"Aw…are you sure?" Belle asked.

"Absolutely," Ackmor said.

"It is your decision after all." Nami said, "Anyways, Belle, Kaisetsu, you two will need the following necessities to head off into the Grandline: A good ship, a navigator, a cook, a shipwright, and a doctor."

"Oh, and also a musician like Brook!" Luffy said.

Nami hit her husband on the head with an annoyed fist, "Don't interrupt me!" She shouted. "As I was saying…the one crucial thing you'll need is a log pose as well like mine." She said to Belle and Kaisetsu and she took out another one from her pouch, "This one's for you two."

"Oh thanks, Mom. I forgot you had one." Belle said taking the log pose.

"Now remember, don't ever lose that. It's your only guide in the Grandline." Robin said, "And the only way to get there is if you sail to the Calm Belt from the island, Lougetown. That island is a dangerous place for pirates, so don't draw too much attention to yourselves."

"Understood," Kaisetsu said.

"Aw, I can't draw a little attention to myself?" Belle asked.

"No, Belle, I'd like to get to the Grandline intact," Kaisetsu said to her.

"Take our set of transponder snails with you," Zoro said handing them two transponder snails that are cosplaying as Zoro and Robin.

"Um...what are these...snails?" Ackmor asked.

"What? You've never heard of transponder snails?!" Belle asked.

"His amnesia must be worse than we thought." Robin said, "Transponder snails are a means of communications. You can tell who you are calling by how the transponder snails are dressed up like mine."

"...I don't know...doesn't it feel strange to have one of these around?" Ackmor asked.

"Don't be like that, Ackmor. I think it's cute when they're dressed up." Belle said as she took out a transponder snail dressed up as her, "See? Isn't mine cute as well?"

"Uh…" Ackmor wasn't sure about what he should say.

"Oh, and I've also got one of you, Ackmor," Belle said as she took out another transponder snail dressed up as Ackmor.

"What in the-? How is that even possible?!" Ackmor asked in shock.

"Some things are better left unquestioned when it comes to Belle," Kaisetsu said.

"Be sure to keep in touch and tell us everything about your adventure," Robin said.

"Yeah, I want to know about everything and don't leave out a single detail!" Olivia said.

"Will do, Olivia. There's no way I can't tell everyone about my exciting stories out on the sea." Belle said. "I'm more ready than anyone could be!"

"You're forgetting one more thing, Belle." Luffy said seriously, "…Be safe." He said wrapping his daughter in a hug.

"Dad…?" Belle asked in confusion.

"That's right, Belle. We're going to be so worried about you the entire time you're out on your journey. This is no joke, take my word on that. Marines will endlessly attack you, pirates will try to kill you, people won't trust you..." Nami told her, "We have faith that you will pull through, Belle, but being parents, we can't do anything else but worry." Nami told her.

"I understand. I know you didn't intentionally want this life for me, but I really want to be a pirate. It's the only way I can fulfill my dream." Belle said, "So cheer up because I'll see you again when I'm up there where you are."

"Shishishi, that's my Princess, for ya'." Luffy said releasing Belle from his hug.

"Hey Robin, do you know why this island was so cold?" Nami asked.

"I think you should ask Kaisetsu that," Robin said.

"Don't worry, this island isn't supposed to be as cold as it was when you arrived." Kaisetsu said, "Well let's just say I had a run-in with a few pirates."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _"Come now, is that all you pirates have?" Kaisetsu asked Akoku and his pirate group, "If so, you might as well give up or you'll end up dying. I can't guarantee any of your safety if you keep this up." She warned the worn-out pirates._

 _"Th-this can't be happening! This girl…what even is she?!" One of the two pirates asked in fear._

 _"What should we do, Akoku?!" the other bounty hunter asked._

 _"What do you mean 'what do we do'?!" Akoku asked back. "This is too valuable to give up and the captain knows it! Make yourself useful and take her out or he'll be more than just angry with us!"_

 _"Y-yes sir!" the two pirates replied as they charged towards Kaisetsu. They had their swords ready to cut Kaisetsu, who easily blocked them with her purple katana._

 _"I was having fun striking fear into your hearts with my new ice blade, but now you're all boring me with your amateur moves," Kaisetsu said. Seeing an opening, she quickly charged past the two and slashed them both. After a moment of silence, the two pirates were down and out, therefore leaving Akoku to fight the girl alone._

 _"Tch!" Akoku cursed._

 _"Now it's your turn," Kaisetsu said. "Of course, I'll be nice enough to let you all go back to your captain, and when you do tell him that if he decides to set foot on my island again I'll show no mercy just as I did with several other pirates a hundred times stronger than you lot."_

 _With that warning, the Akoku took his subordinates and retreated. "This isn't over! We'll be back!" He shouted._

 _"It's your funeral if you do," Kaisetsu said._

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Amazing! You've must have gotten a lot stronger if you were able to treat those pirates like that." Belle said.

"It was nothing, really." Kaisetsu said, "All I had to do was block and then strike. A simple yet effective strategy."

"Hold on, that doesn't explain the unusual cold," Ackmor said.

To answer his question, Kaisetsu took out a glowing blue gemstone.

"Oooh, pretty," Belle said.

"What is it?" Ackmor asked.

"This is a Bankerite Gem." Kaisetsu explained, "They are ancient gemstones than can only grant certain powers to katanas."

"When Kaisetsu found this crystal deep in a snowy mountain, she figured out how to use its power to transform her sword into ice," Robin explained.

"Really?!" Luffy asked.

"We didn't see anything like that last time we were here," Nami said.

"Can you show it to us, Kai?! Please?!" Belle asked excitedly.

"I'm pretty interested in this technique of yours too," Ackmor said.

"Hm...perhaps I can." Kaisetsu said as she stood up from her chair, "Is that okay with you, Dad?"

"Of course you can. Just don't freeze the entire island like last year." Zoro said.

"Thanks." Kaisetsu said, "Come on, I know a perfect place to show you my sword skills."

"And be safe out there," Robin said as they watched Belle, Kaisetsu, and Ackmor leave the house.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

The trio went to the beach side, which was far away from Kai's house.

"Sorry for the wait, but I had to make sure we were far from the house," Kaisetsu said

"Is your sword that powerful?" Ackmor asked.

"Perhaps it's better to show you than tell you," Kaisetsu said as she grabbed the hilt of Murasaki.

"There you are, you brat!" A familiar voice shouted.

Kaisetsu turned around and saw Akoku, a group of pirates. "Oh great, it's those idiots again." She muttered.

"You know these people, Kaisetsu?" Ackmor asked.

"Unfortunately," Kaisetsu replied.

"She's the girl, captain." Akoku said as he pointed at Kaisetsu, "She's the one who prevented us from scouting the island."

"Is that so?" the captain of the pirates asked. He was a tall black-haired male with a scar on his right cheek. He wears an intimidating outfit with a black heavy jacket. "I am in a ticked-off mood because of you, girl."

"Huh? Who are these doofuses?" Belle asked.

"Doofuses?! I'll have your head for that insult!" Akoku snapped.

"Silence, Akoku!" The captain shouted.

"You idiots again…" Kaisetsu said, "I told you not to trespass on my island or I wouldn't show mercy. Did you all come here to dig your own graves?"

"Ha, our own graves? Don't make us laugh, the graves we're going to be digging when this is over will be yours." Akoku boasted.

"You need to know your place. This island is now the property of the captain of the Diamond Dog pirates, Mongol." Mongol said, "You are the one trespassing on other people's property."

"You can't call a piece of land your property when someone else has been living on it for her whole life," Kaisetsu said coldly.

"No I can't...but through a duel, I can take anyone's property," Mongol said.

"Oh, so you're challenging me to a duel? How brave of you." Kaisetsu said.

"That is correct. Defeat me and my crew will leave this island alone," Mongol said, "However if I win, this island becomes my territory."

"You can't be serious!" Ackmor shouted.

"I accept your terms," Kaisetsu said.

"Are you sure, Kaisetsu? You could lose your home." Ackmor said.

"It's alright, Ackmor. Kaisetsu is, without a doubt, stronger than you think." Belle said, "You go get him, Kai."

"Will do," Kaisetsu said as she stepped forward.

"I see that you are a wielder of a sword. Tell me for the sake swordsmen pride, who is your master?" Mongol asked.

"If I give you his name, you might flee in fear," Kaisetsu warned.

"Nonsense! My master is Rilas, the sword master of the North Blue." Mongol said, "Now tell me the name of your master."

"...Very well then, my master is Roronoa Zoro." Kaisetsu said.

Gasps of horror were heard among the pirate crowd.

"R-Roronoa?!" A pirate asked in shock.

"THE Roronoa?! The Demon Swordsman?!" Another pirate asked in fear.

"Hahaha, if you are truly the student of the Greatest Swordsman, then you will become a good challenge." Mongol said, "Do not disappoint me."

"Same to you," Kaisetsu said.

"Ha!" Mongol shouted as he charged at the girl with his sword in hand. Kaisetsu unsheathed her katana and blocked the attack and struck back.

The duel continued on for minutes. Neither duelist was backing down yet. Mongol sent a thrust slash towards Kaisetsu.

The swordswoman didn't need to move away and instead waited. When she felt that Mongol was close enough, she takes out a glowing blue gemstone and attaches it to the hem of her katana, "Murasaki Form: Snow Angel." She said as she transformed her katana into an ice sword and block Mongol's strike freezing his sword.

"Whoa…" Belle said in awe.

"Did she just…turn her sword into ice?" Ackmor asked.

"Just like she said! It's so cool!" Belle shouted.

"Gah!" Mongol screamed as his whole body began to become engulfed in ice, "Th-Th-this…c-c-can't…" Mongol couldn't finish because his entire body froze solid.

"No..." Akoku muttered as he glares at Kaisetsu, "I won't accept this!" he yelled, charging towards the one who defeated his boss. "I'll kill you myself!"

"Hey, dumbass…" Belle said as she jumped above him, "You need to respect my friend's match!" She shouted as her arm started to turn into a silver dragon's claw and smashes Akoku down onto the ground knocking him unconscious.

Kaisetsu raised an eyebrow after witnessing what Belle had done, "Belle…what in…"

Belle's eyes turned feline as she glared daggers at the pirates, "Your crew lost fair and square. Take your captain and this...guy and leave. If you return...shishishi...I might have to bit your heads off." She threatened maliciously as she showed them her fangs.

With cold shivers down their spines, the pirates quickly gathered Akoku and Mongol and ran away as fast as they could back to their ship to sail away.

"Belle, what in the world was that?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Shishi, surprised?" Belle asked as she showed off her silver dragon arms, "I've eaten the Mythical Zoan Fruit: Model Dragon. I've become the Mythical Silver Dragon of the Mountains."

"A Mythical Zoan Fruit?" Ackmor asked, "...So that tail from before…"

"What an interesting Devil Fruit," Kaisetsu said. "Do you know about the mythical beast you transform into?"

"Yep, I looked it up in the library back on my home island." Belle said, "Apparently, my mythical zoan is named Crystalis. That's the name that the people who lived in her era called it. Crystalis is the mythical Silver Dragon of the Grandline. I'm not sure what era she lived in though, but I've read that Crystalis was known to have lived in the mountains of a Winter Island in the Grandline, Dante's Freezer. She has control over the element: Ice and can paralyze her prey."

"That's quite the story." Ackmor said, "Where in the world did you get this kind of power?"

"A good teacher gave it to me," Belle said.

"I see…well thanks for the back-up," Kaisetsu said.

"No problem. Anything for a friend." Belle said wrapping her right arm around her friend's shoulder.

"Hey, why don't we head back?" Ackmor said, "Your parents might worry if we stay out too long."

"You're right. It is getting late." Kaisetsu said. "Mom's probably made dinner by now."

"Oh boy! I'm getting hungry now…" Belle said as she began her mad dash back to the house, "COME ON, GUYS! FOOD'S A'WAITING FOR US!"

"Belle! Slow down before you hit a tree!" Ackmor shouted as he and Kaisetsu dashed after her.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

The next day, Belle, Kaisetsu, and Ackmor were loading their equipment onto a three-man boat so they could be ready to sail.

"Thank you so much for your company, Uncle Zoro, Auntie Robin," Belle said.

"Yeah, it's was nice talking with all of you!" Ackmor said.

"And it was a pleasure to have you, Belle, Ackmor," Robin said.

"Be sure to call back!" Olivia said.

"Sure thing…" Belle said as she looks down at the ground, "I can't believe it's time to go…"

"Me neither, but I'm sure our adventure will be fun, right Ackmor?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Well, it depends on how fun you make it," Ackmor replied.

"Yeah, you're right," Belle said.

"Father, Mother, Olivia…" Kaisetsu said to her family as she wraps them all in a hug, "I'll be sure to give it my all and fulfill my dream."

"I know you will, kid." Zoro said, "Remember your training and remember us whenever you feel lonely."

"And most of all, have tons of fun with Belle, Ackmor, and many other people you meet, big sis!" Olivia said.

"I will and I'll make sure Belle doesn't do anything stupid; although, I can tell that I'm going to fail," Kaisetsu admitted.

"Just be sure she doesn't get you three killed," Zoro said with a playful chuckle earning a light punch on the arm from Robin.

"What your father is trying to say it, come back safe. There are many powerful pirates, marines, and even monsters in the Grandline, so don't drop your guard while you are there." Robin informed her.

"Thank you, Mother. I will keep that in mind." Kaisetsu said as she gave each of her family a final hug before boarding the ship.

"I…I guess we're off." Belle said sadly to her parents, "Kinda wish I can stay longer."

Nami wrapped her daughter in a tight hug, "Be safe, you hear me? Don't do anything stupid like your father."

Belle's tears fell from her eyes onto her cheek as she returned the tight hug, "I-I'll miss you both…so, so much." She cried, "I-I'll be sure to be nice to everyone, and say hi to everyone else too. We'll…see each other again, right?"

"That's right, Princess," Luffy said as he ruffled Belle's hair.

"Shishi, I like it when you call me that." Belle said feeling a little better, "I'll make you both proud of me. I promise." She said as she turned to leave.

Luffy smiles and returned the tight hug, "I'm sure you will. That's the kind of person you are, my princess. Head to the Grandline and show everyone the kind of person you are. Show them that you'll be Queen of the Pirates with the strongest crew!"

"I will! It's a promise!" Belle said as she hugged her parents one last time.

As the families of the departing wave goodbye to their children sailing away to their adventure, Zoro turned to Luffy.

"So what are you two going to do?" Robin asked.

"If you don't mind, we would like to stay here for a few days then find somewhere quiet to enjoy time together," Nami said.

"Haha, you two are such lovebirds," Zoro said.

"Look who's talking Mr. One Eye," Nami said.

"Hey, that's mean. Daddy has both eyes he just keeps his left closed, that's all." Olivia said.

"I know." Nami giggled, "I was just playing."

"So why don't we all talk to each other like old times in the library?" Robin offered. "I have a lot of stories to tell you."

"Sure, if it's about meat!" Luffy said.

"Stop thinking about meat all the time, idiot!" Nami shouted.

Robin and Zoro giggle at the sight of how the two acted around each other as Luffy and Nami started to get into a crazy argument.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Alright!" Belle shouted, "I can't wait till we meet some more people to join our crew."

"Don't get too excited now. We need to figure out who we need first." Kaisetsu said.

"Well…if we follow this map we should be at the next island." Ackmor said as he looked at a map, "Maybe this one." He said as he pointed to an island.

"Hm…the Gecko Islands. Sounds cool, let's go there!" Belle said.

 _"Gecko Islands…?"_ Kaisetsu thought, _"Isn't there someone we know living there?"_

"Man...I hope we can get a cook because…oh…I'm hungry…" She said rubbing her stomach.

"Belle, you just ate breakfast!" Kaisetsu shouted.

"I know…" Belle groaned.

"Oh boy…I am already regretting this, aren't I?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Seems like it," Ackmor said.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile far away from the trio was a one-man ship sailing in the night. On that ship was an auburn-brown haired boy who wore a black shirt under long blue overcoat dressy dark slacks covering his bleeding right shoulder, "Ngh...I knew those animal people were bad news..." He thought as he opened his light brown eyes to look at his hand, which was covered in a green-yellowish ooze. "Poison...no...not like this..." He whispered before he completely lost consciousness.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, near a lake in the forest of the Gecko Islands, a pink-haired girl with purple eyes stared at her reflection in the water. The girl wore a pink dress with a yellow flower on the center of her abdomen. On her neck was a necklace with a small accordion on the end.

 **Lost in Thoughts. All Alone**

 **Singer: ? ? ?**

 _ **You are an ocean of waves**_

 _ **Weaving a dream, like thoughts become a river stream**_

 _ **Yet may the tide ever change**_

 _ **Flowing like time, to the path, yours to climb**_

The girl sang this as she descended into the river.

* * *

 _ **Jurabi: And there, things are starting to heat up. Now for Kaisetsu's ice sword ability, that only lasts for a short period of time and I am not sure if she will be able to find other Bankerite Gems since they're so rare.**_

 _ **Also, in case none of you recognize the song that was just sang, that was Lost in Thoughts All Alone which is a famous song in game Fire Emblem Fates, but this version is different. This version was sung by LeeandLie, a youtube singer who I highly recommend you listen to because her songs are just fantastic.**_

 _ **Anyways, I really am glad that you enjoyed this chapter, if not let me know why in the reviews. If you really loved this story and would want more of it, please leave a favorite and a follow. Thank you for reading and I'll see you next chapter.**_


	3. The Mute

**Jurabi: Heeeeelloooo~! This is Espada 4 Jurabi back with some more One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates. Okay, I usually stay quiet in the beginning so that my A/N's notes don't become too long, but I am speaking because I want to introduce/reintroduce you to my writing bae, LazyFoxLover.**

 **Lazyfox: Hi everyone~ I'm back and ready to begin writing again!**

 **Jurabi: For those of you who are new, Lazyfox, is my best friend here and we sometimes do co-op chapters like this on certain stories. In the original version of this story, we've done a number of good chapters and for some reason, all of them are able to reach 10k words. It's astounding!**

 **Lazyfox: I like to write and many ideas come pouring out when you have someone to bounce ideas off of ^w^ That's why I enjoy writing so much with my bestie over here~**

 **Jurabi: Oh stop it...you're making me smile like an idiot in front of everyone! Okay so in case any of you were wondering why this chapter is up instead of the next one is because I've been busy rewriting a lot of stuff. I've rewritten the first and second chapter so I recommend you see those first before continuing on. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Lazyfox: Espada 4 Jurabi doesn't own One Piece of any of the characters except some of the OC's, but One Piece is mostly owned by the genius known as Eiichiro Oda. Please enjoy the chapter and leave a review, favorite or follow is you enjoyed~ ^w^**

 **Previously on One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates…**

 _ **"Odd, it shouldn't be." Nami said, "This island never has any cold weather."**_

 _ **"Must be Zoro then," Luffy said, "That guy can do anything."**_

 _ **"Really?" Ackmor asked, "He's...a weather god?"**_

 _ **"REALLY?! ZORO'S A WEATHER GOD?!" Belle asked in complete shock, "...It all makes sense now. He's terrible sense of direction is actually him reacting to changes in the weather!"**_

 _ **"R-REALLY?! THAT'S WHY HE GETS LOST ALL THE TIME?!" Luffy shouted in surprise, "All this time I thought it was something funny, but now that I think about it, Zoro might have better insight on weather than-" Before Luffy could finish, Nami angrily punched his face in.**_

 _ **"I DARE YOU TO FINISH THAT SENTENCE, MONKEY D. LUFFY!" Nami screamed as she continuously punched the straw hat boy.**_

 _ **And now...back to Oda-senpai's greatness.**_

* * *

 **The Mute**

"Ackmoooor! Ackmooor~!" Belle called out to her sleeping friend in a singing tone.

Ackmor opened his blue eyes and stared straight into Belle's brown eyes, "Yes, Belle…?" He grumbled as he felt half-asleep and half-awake.

"Are we there yet?" Belle asked.

"How in the world am I supposed to know that?!" Ackmor asked, "All we have is a map of the Four Blues, but no one to properly navigate us!"

"Then why don't you use the log-pose?" Belle asked.

"Your mother explained to us that the log pose doesn't work in the Four Blues because none of the islands produce electromagnetic waves like the ones in the Grandline, so it's completely useless here," Ackmor explained.

"Then can't we use a regular compass to guide us?" Kaisetsu asked for her sitting position near the main mass.

"We could if I had a regular compass, but sadly we don't have one," Ackmor explained. "So, for now, we have to hope that we get to the island we want."

"But we've been on this boat for two whole days and I am starving!" Belle shouted.

"Complaining isn't going to help us one little bit, Belle," Ackmor said.

"And it's your fault where starving because you ate all our rations you glorified black hole!" Kaisetsu said glaring at Belle for eating up all their food.

"You guys are mean," Belle said with a pout, "No one else was going to eat the food."

"We were saving them! You know, for the time we might need them! They're called rations for a reason!" Ackmor shouted.

"Dad said food left unguarded is fair game to eat. The only time we can't eat it is if a cook puts a lock on a really mean fridge that shoots and traps you in a giant mouse trap" Belle said.

"...Giant mouse trap?" Ackmor asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It was a defense mechanism our Uncle Sanji used against Uncle Luffy when they first started sailing together and he kept eating up all their food stocks" Kaisetsu explained.

"Don't tell me we need something as stupid as that to stop this girl," Ackmor said.

"Stupid but effective," Kaisetsu said.

"We're doomed before we even enter the ship's graveyard" Ackmor mumbled facepalming himself.

Belle sat on the front of the ship's bow laughing at him. "It's not all that bad, shishishi. Have a little more faith in me."

"I'm starting to think that's the last thing I want to do!" Ackmor shouted.

"Hey! I'm totally a nice person to have faith in! You had a lot of faith in me when I fought that Haxel guy, didn't you?" Belle asked.

"Who's she talking about?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Oh! That guy who attacked Makino." Ackmor said, "Now that I think about it, he talked as though you two shared a history together."

"That's right. I hated him so much because he always flirted with me!" Belle shouted angrily, "Our stupid history dates back to...I'd like to say about um…eight years ago." Belle said.

"Hold on, this Haxel character liked you? In a...um…like like way?" Kaisetsu asked surprised.

"It's a long story…" Belle replied, "Haxel would never stop flirting with me when I was in the Marines. That all ended after our little argument."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _"For the last time, Haxel, I don't want to go with you! My duties command me to remain here at Marineford." Belle told Haxel._

 _"Oh, your duties as the janitor? Ha, your position is keeping you in the dirt, dear." Haxel said, "All you need do is come join my group and you'll be the happiest woman in the world."_

 _"I told you, no! I'd rather have this boring job than hang around a scumbag like you!" Belle said. "Now if you would please leave me alone?!"_

 _Haxel quickly lost his cool attitude and angrily grabbed Belle by the throat, "Want to run that by me again? You better learn your place, runt, or you'll end up just like the other trash marines who had pirates for parents."_

 _"Ngh..." As she felt her breath being taken from her, Belle fought back the urge to break Haxel's arm because she knew what would happen if she attacked him._

 _"What's the matter, Ms. Monkey? Oh, you can't lay a finger on me, can't you? That's right if word got around that you, a pirate child, committed assault on a marine you will be labeled a pirate." Haxel told her._

 _"Now who could have possibly started that rumor?" A voice called._

 _"Heh, that would be me of cou-…" Haxel immediately dropped Belle and went into attention at the sight of Coby, who was now wearing the outfit of a Marine Admiral, "A-Admiral Larosa, sir."_

 _"You have a lot to explain to yourself, 'Private' Haxel," Coby said sending a glare at Haxel._

 _"W-Well I-"_

 _"Do not speak. You know full well that attacking another marine is considered against Marine regulations. Report to Fleet Admiral Ludwig's office at exactly 0600 hours and not a second later. Now get out of my sight." Coby said as Haxel quickly left the hallway. After the man was no longer in sight, Coby kneeled down to Belle's level and offered a hand, "How bad did he hurt you, Belle?"_

 _"I'm okay, Admiral Larosa, sir. Thank you…" Belle said as she took Coby's hand to be pulled back onto her feet._

 _"Please, Belle, you can call me by my actual name," Coby said, "Admiral Larosa just doesn't click with me."_

 _"A-Are you sure, sir," Belle asked, "I mean, calling high-ranking officers is against-"_

 _"Against Marine regulations," Coby finished, "Don't worry about it. Consider yourself an exception to that rule when it comes to me."_

 _"Y-Yes, Coby. Thank you, sir," Belle said._

 _"I'm sorry that you had to deal with punks like Haxel," Coby said, "I'll personally make sure that he receives the maximum punishment."_

 _"Why did you help me, sir?" Belle asked as she looked down at the ground, "Just like he said, I'm a pirate child. I never deserved the right to be one of you. It's because of my blood that everyone in this place hates me. Why else would I have this crappy job as hall janitor?!"_

 _"That's not entirely true, Belle. So what if your father is a pirate? You want to be a marine to protect the people you love, right?" Coby asked._

 _"Of course, I am protecting my loved ones with this mop," Belle said sarcastically. "I hate this job so much. Why won't Fleet Admiral Ludwig give me a position of a full-fledged marine? Anything's better than this."_

 _"Hey, Belle, do you want to know how I started out as a marine?" Coby asked._

 _"A full-fledged marine like all the others, of course," Belle replied._

 _"Good guess, but nope. I started as a janitor like you are now." Coby said._

 _"E-Excuse me, sir?" Belle asked in shock._

 _"Yeah, I was given this position because I was caught up with a pirate group. Luckily your father was there to not only save me but inspire me to be the man I am today." He said as he walked over to the cleaning closet._

 _"My father? He helped you?" Belle asked._

 _"Why don't I tell the whole story after this hall is complete?" Coby asked as he took out a mop._

 _"A-Admiral Coby, sir, you can't mop the floor as a janitor. What about your-"_

 _"My reputation as an Admiral? Don't be silly, Belle. I enjoyed being a janitor when I was around your age, so going back to the past won't hurt anyone, wouldn't you agree?" Coby asked._

 _"Y-You don't have to…" Belle whispered._

 _"You're a good person, Belle. No matter what Haxel or any other marine says about you, I know that you want to help out. That is more than enough for me to believe in you." Coby said, "So after all this, why don't we go out to eat?"_

 _"At the mess hall, sir?" Belle asked._

 _"We're going to my favorite restaurant in Marineford. You'll love it there, trust me." Coby replied with a smile._

 _ **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

 _Later that day, Coby led Belle to the best restaurant in Marineford. When they entered, many people who are working and eating there greeted Coby, who greeted back._

 _"Wow, being an Admiral must mean that you're automatically famous wherever you go," Belle observed._

 _"Not all the time. At first, I never imagined I would be this famous, though, but I'm used to it now." Coby said._

 _"Oh, I see," Belle replied. Her stomach then growled, demanding lots of food._

 _Coby heard this and laughed. "Anyway, waitress. Table for two please."_

 _"Yes, right this way," a red-haired waitress replied, guiding them to a table with eight seats. She then handed them menus to order something to eat._

 _"WHOA!" Belle exclaimed. "All of these dishes sound really tasty. Is it alright if I order a lot of food?"_

 _"You're just like your father in terms of appetite." Coby said with a chuckle, "Go on ahead; I have enough money…hopefully."_

 _After they ordered their meal, Belle and Coby spent most of the time talking about the life of a marine officer._

 _"How strong are you, Coby? Are you able to defeat countless hordes of pirates with a wooden sword?" Belle asked._

 _"Well, I have been training for many years. You could say I am able to do something like that with a wooden sword, but let's not go overboard with the exaggeration." Coby replied._

 _"I see. If you're that strong, maybe we can fight sometimes" Belle said._

 _"Well, I'm looking forward to that battle, Belle," Coby replied._

 _It was then that their meal arrived. They all looked so fancy, as though Belle and Coby were eating in a fancy restaurant, which is mostly true._

 _"How much do we have to pay?" Belle asked as she took a bite out of her meal._

 _"306 beri's," the waitress answered._

 _Hearing the price Belle choked on her food. "306?!" Belle repeated._

 _"Yes, if you aren't Admiral Coby's friend that is," the waitress added, much to her relief._

 _"We're not friends," the pink-haired admiral said which caused the same person to choke on her food again. "Hahaha! Just kidding."_

 _"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Belle shouted in rage._

 _"Hahaha, you should have seen the look on your face!" Coby cried in laughter._

 _"Not funny!" Belle shouted throwing a napkin at the laughing admiral. "You scared the hell out of me."_

 _"Come on, Belle. You need to lighten up a little." Coby said playfully._

 _Belle didn't say anything and instead took a sip of her water. "So…can you tell me more about when you and my dad met?"_

 _"Of course," Coby said as he explains to Belle the time he met Luffy and Zoro, the time he met them again at Water 7, and the time he fought Luffy on several occasions in the New World._

 _"So my Dad one-shot you during the Whitebeard War?" Belle asked holding in a giggle._

 _"Hey, I wouldn't call it a one-shot. It's more of a…friendly tap from a friend." Coby said._

 _"With a fist?" Belle asked._

 _"…I did get tougher than that. Yeah, I was strong enough to give even Luffy a run for his money…but he still managed to beat me." Coby said._

 _"So will you be able to beat my dad now?" Belle asked._

 _"...Maybe." Coby said as he looked up at the ceiling, "No matter how far I ran after him, he's still miles away…"_

 _"Admiral Coby, sir, are you okay?" Belle asked as she looked at her admiral in worry._

 _"I'm fine. Thanks for your concern," Coby said, "So Belle, aside from protecting the people you love, what other goals do you have as a marine?"_

 _"Well…" Belle stopped to come up with a good answer, but said, "That's the problem. I don't really know other than to protect the people I love."_

 _"I see. Isn't protecting the people you love a good enough dream?" Coby asked._

 _"Yeah but...even I wasn't able to do that," Belle said, "I lost someone very important to me before I joined. I...I couldn't protect her..."_

 _"That's...horrible," Coby said, "Stuff like that is the reason why I became a Marine. I can't stand the thought of people losing their lives because one man wanted to me drunk in power and wealth."_

 _"At the very least, that's what I want to do for the time being," Belle said, "My sister once told me that I will find what I've always wanted to do with time, so all I gotta do is be patient."_

 _"You've got it," Coby said with a smile, "_ _Listen, Belle, I have something for you, but you must keep it a secret that I gave this to you. Can you do that?"_

 _"Of course, I'm good at keeping certain secrets," Belle replied._

 _"Alright," Coby said as he took out a white box, "I was planning on giving you this sooner, but I felt that I needed to do it here where no other marine can see it." He said as he opened the box. Inside was a silver pear with a scale-like pattern._

 _"Is this…a Devil Fruit?" Belle asked as she examined the silver fruit._

 _"Yes, this holds the power to protect others who cannot defend themselves. You may be a janitor, but you've proven that you have the spirit of a true marine. That's why I want you my marine pupil." Coby said._

 _"Marine…pupil? Please tell me I'm not dreaming!" Belle said._

 _"You certainly are not. I will speak with Fleet Admiral Ludwig about placing you under my wing. In no time, you'll become a powerful marine with a just and fair moral. Would you accept my offer? Be forewarned, your journey will become much harder than you can possibly imagine. To be a marine, you must overcome many hardships and conquer any obstacle." Coby explained._

 _"…I accept." Belle said as she took the Devil Fruit into her hands, "Thank you so much, Coby. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you for your kindness."_

 _"Just be the marine I know you can be, and make everyone who laughed at you finally call your name in acceptance," Coby said with a faithful smile._

 _"I will." Belle declared with a confident smile._

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"…So Haxel flirted with you…he sure showed how precious you were to him when he tried to kill you multiple times." Ackmor said.

"Haxel's an idiot who would fall for any trick in the book. He let his anger blind him from what was obviously going to happen." Belle said.

"You're right about that." Ackmor said, "He fell for every single one of your insults."

"Well, it was great to get that story out of the way! It's a good way to kill some time!" Belle said.

"Hello?! Belle?! In case you didn't notice, we're still lost!" Kaisetsu shouted.

"No, we're not. Look I even got this here compass to prove it!" Belle said pulling out her mom's old compass.

Kaisetsu and Ackmor both looked at Belle who was grinning proudly at herself before yelping as both Kaisetsu and Ackmor knocked her over the head.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US YOU HAD THAT THING BEFORE NOW!" they both yelled at her.

"Cuz I thought the log pose would work…" Belle replied.

"Okay! Let's just stop for a second!" Ackmor said, "You...the daughter of, as you called her, the most intelligent navigator in the world didn't know how log poses worked even though your mother explained it in full detail before we left; yet you know how the compass worked and still advised the use of the useless log pose?!"

Belle grinned at him as she laughed. "Haha when you put it like that I guess I must have goofed Shishishi~" she laughed as she held out her hand for Ackmor to take the compass. "But hey, we have a compass now so take us to an island mister navigator!"

Ackmor felt a nerve twitching on the upper right side of his temple trying to hold back his rage on strangling the girl. "You are so not allowed to eat dinner tonight," he muttered darkly.

Just as Belle was about to hand him the compass the small ship was rocked by a rough wave that made Belle shake and tumble to the floor where she let the compass go causing it to fall into the ocean.

"..." Ackmor's jaw dropped the moment he saw the compass disappear from their sights.

"There goes our only means of direction…" Kaisetsu said with a sigh.

Belle looked up sheepishly. "Whoops... Shishishi~"

Ackmor's arm shook as he clenched his fist tightly. He wanted to unleash the unknown rage inside him, but he thought to himself, "Stay calm...you're better than to hit another girl, Ackmor."

"Welp since we lost the compass the best decision we can do now is to follow the seagulls up there. Mom said you don't have a compass or log pose follow the birds because they're always heading to a new island!" Belle said cheerfully.

"You're awfully optimistic." Ackmor said, "And what makes you think they aren't going to change direction at any time?"

"If they do we can always just change and follow them too. That's what we've been doing this whole time anyway. ShiShi, though I been stirring in the wrong direction sometimes," Belle admitted smiling at him.

"Belle, I don't know how you're going to survive in the Grandline without a proper navigator who knows what he's doing all the time." Ackmor said, "Just following the birds isn't going to be enough, you know."

"I know~ That's why I have you as a navigator," Belle said. "Mama thinks you're going to make an amazing navigator that's why she entrusted her log pose with you!"

"She gave it to me because she didn't want to give it to her clumsy daughter. Don't tell me you forgot what happened to the compass!" Ackmor shouted.

"Are you done rambling, amnesia boy?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Excuse me?" Ackmor asked.

"Whining, whining and whining…please don't tell me that's all you can do," Kaisetsu said with an unamused frown.

"Whining?! I'm thinking logically here! Am I seriously the only one here whose realized that we are lost in the middle of nowhere?!" Ackmor asked.

"Relax, Acky," Belle said.

"When did I give you permission to call me by a nickname?" Ackmor snapped.

"Hehe, okay Ackmor, we're not totally lost. That small ship over there seems to be heading in the same direction as we are." Belle said as she pointed out towards the distance.

"Ship?" Ackmor asked looking over in the direction Belle pointed out to see a single ship drifting in the water. "Oh thank the sea gods! Maybe there's an actual person on board that ship with common sense!"

"Acky that's just mean...Kai can't help the fact that she has her father's sense of logic" Belle said receiving a glare from her long time best friend and first mate.

"And that sense of logic is telling me to kick you into the ocean for that comment!" Kaisetsu threatened.

"But I'll drown if you do that!" Belle gasped in horror before giggling and hugging Ackmor. "Well, if you did I know Acky here will save me."

"Not if you keep calling me that ridiculous name…" Ackmor grumbled.

When the trio's boat drew closer to the idle one, they saw a person unconscious on it. It was an auburn brown-haired boy who wore a black shirt under long blue overcoat with dressy dark slacks.

"Who is this?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Is he asleep?" Belle asked as she got close to the unconscious boy.

"Belle, have you heard of personal space?!" Ackmor asked as he pulled the girl back, "He could be sleeping for all we know."

"I don't know about that, Ackmor." Kaisetsu said as she noticed that the boy's skin was pale, "He looks awfully pale."

Ackmor placed his hand on the boy's forehead and felt a surge of heat, "You're right. He's burning up."

"He must have a bad fever... we need to get him some help. Look and see if he has a compass on him," Kaisetsu said getting Belle to help her bring the boy onto their ship.

When they searched the boy's body for a possibility of locating a compass, they noticed two strange things. One was that there was a furry bear colored black and white on opposite sides with a red, lightning-shaped left eye. The other was a huge bite mark on the boy's right shoulder.

"This bite mark...it must be from a huge snake," Kaisetsu said.

"Wh-what?! A snake made a bite this big?!" Belle asked.

"That can't be...there's no snake big enough to make this bite." Ackmor said, "He probably got stabbed by an iron skewer or something."

"No...look closely." Kaisetsu said as she squeezed one of the bite holes which let out a greenish yellow ooze around the purplish blackened skin, "This is a sign of snake venom. There's no question that this was done by a snake."

"Then this guy isn't just ill; he's been poisoned!" Belle shouted.

"All the more reason to get him to a doctor quickly." Ackmor said as he searched the boy's pockets until he found a red compass, "Here's one! This time, I'm holding on to it."

"Hey, what about this weird bear thing?" Belle asked as she showed them the bear on the boy's arm.

"That's a puppet." Kaisetsu said, "An oddly colored one, but a puppet." She said as she looked at the puppet closely and thought, "...Strange...have I seen this before?"

"Well, it must be special to him if he's still wearing it so just bring it along. The compass is telling us to head north. We must be closing on an island by the looks of things" Ackmor replied looking at the moving needle and map.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Under the small little boat carrying the four teens spied two cyborg enhanced dolphins. The dolphins were recording the movement of the poisoned boy and were surprised by Belle and her crew's appearance. Feeling they had recorded enough one dolphin swam away while the other one followed after the sailing teenagers.

The one dolphin that had left returned to a large ship that was covered in vines, plants, and moss making it appear to be a regular jungle. The dolphin swam under the ship and entered through an underwater tunnel built into the ship.

Inside the ship, it looked to be a real live jungle as the dolphin swam through the underwater tunnel until it came to the surface inside the ship. The dolphin now swam in what looked like a scientist lab that had caged cyborg enhanced animals locked inside. The dolphin swam to edge of the pool where a woman wearing a blue and gray dress with short silver hair stood. Bending down the woman petted the dolphins head before retrieving the chip inside the dolphin's mechanical eye.

"Well, done my pretty. Have you brought back footage of that troublesome little boy and his intriguing little bear?" the woman mused.

The dolphin did a little happy dance as he let out little eeps to convey his message before jumping back into the water.

"What did the little flipper just say Daphne?" asked a gruff and gravelly voice from behind the silver-haired woman.

Standing up the woman known as Daphne turned to look at a bulky blond haired man wearing crocodile skin over his unbuttoned hunter's vest and cargo pants and camo boots. "He reported that our little runaway has found himself some help Carl. A group of three teens found him drifting in the sea and brought him aboard to take him to a doctor. Seems like Scarlett's poison didn't finish the job like it was supposed to do."

The woman known as Scarlett had long, raven-colored hair tied into a bun wearing a long red dress with long sleeves, which extend well past her hands, with a single slit in each one, and two thin belts crisscrossing around her waist. "Don't blame me, Daphne. If you two had kept that boy in one placccce, my poissssson would have fully entered hissssss body effectively."

"Whether or not your poison could kill him or not isn't the problem!" Roared a loud man who had spiky black hair and flashing blue eyes with a muscular build. He wore a white t-shirt under a black jacket, blue jeans, and combat boots. Wrapped around his neck was a silver chain. His body appeared to be in the form of a gorilla, "I told you that kid shouldn't get killed by cheap tactics like poison! A real man should die by the power of my FISTS!"

"Gary can you keep it down, you dumb ape. You're scaring my experiments!" Daphne snapped trying to sooth down her animals by releasing a low pitch screech she uses to calm her animals down.

"How can I keep down, Daphne, when such a strong opponent has been crippled by something as insignificant as a snake's bite! It's such a disgrace!" Gary shouted.

"Watcccchhh, that tongue of yourssss Gary or I will rip it out of your moutttthhhh and ussssse it to hang you!" Scarlett threatened.

"Hahaha, I dare you to do it! Snakes never have the guts to kill in the most proper way, so I'd like you to prove me wrong!" Gary shouted.

"Isssss that sssssssooooo?" Scarlett hissed as she transformed into a light brown colored snake with a pitch mouth and tongue and gray beaded eyes. Moving quickly she wrapped the big man in her coils ready to sink her fangs into Gary's neck.

"Will you two cut it out! You're going to upset all of our servants!" Carl shouted as Daphne was trying her best to keep the animals calm.

"Then tell this ugly monkey to sssssstop messsssing with me!" Scarlet hissed going back into her human form.

"Enough with this childish nonsense, all of you!" Shouted an even louder voice than Gary's. "My four animal knights are not meant to be acting like this!"

All of the pirates turned to a large muscular man with a giant robotic right arm. His towering muscular body made him appear to be an ape-man wearing a crown

The four animal knights kneeled before the man with the giant robotic arm. "Are deepest apology King Kong."

The man known as King Kong stared down at his knights before turning to Daphne. "Deep sea queen Daphne where to have your surveillance dolphins followed are run away target too?"

Daphne jumped to her feet as she bowed to her majesty. "Sir, my dolphins have located the target boarding another ship with three other sailors heading towards the Gecko Islands" she reported.

"The Gecko Islands? Is that not the island that the Sniper King of the Straw Hats was born on?" King Kong asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Rumor has it that he has returned to that island." Daphne said.

"...Interesting." King Kong said as he rubbed his chin in deep thought.

"Lemme fight him, Your Majesty! I haven't faced a strong opponent in years!" Gary shouted, "I've always dreamed of fighting someone from the most powerful pirate crew in the world!"

"Ugh, there he goessssss again pounding hissssss fistsssss firssssst before using that tiny brain of hisssss." Scarlet said.

"Gary, I will decide if you get to fight Sniper King or not, so keep that loud mouth shut for at least a minute!" King Kong demanded.

"As you wish your majesty!" Gary shouted.

"You guyssss aren't sssseriously planning on going against Sssssssniper King, are you? You do realizzzze that he has 8 thoussssand followers, right?!" Scarlet asked.

"He can have 8 million and it wouldn't matter." King Kong said, "Fortune smiles upon us, my knights. Our target may have escaped, but he's fled to one of the richest islands in all the Blues."

"So the wealth of the Gecko Islands is our goal, Sir Kong?" Carl asked.

"Precisely, Carl. First, we need to scour that island and find the richest families there while at the same time locate that boy." King Kong said.

"Yes, milord," Daphne said as she made a chirping noise that attracted two blue birds equipped with black eye cameras. The girl whispered into the ears of the birds and sent them out on their mission.

"Once those birds gather the information we need, we'll all be set to form the perfect plan." King Kong said, "So let's quietly follow that band of kiddos to our next destination!"

"Quietly! I like the sound of that!" Gary shouted loudly.

"He ssssssaid quietly, not loudly, you idiot!" Scarlett shouted as she punched him on the back of his head.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Finally! We made it!" Belle shouted as she and her friends arrived on the Gecko Islands.

"We have no time to waste!" Kaisetsu said as she and Ackmor carried the poisoned boy off of the ship, "We need to find a doctor, fast!"

"It's best that we find a village as soon as possible!" Ackmor shouted.

"Alright, we should eventually find one if we follow this path," Belle said as she looked a the large pathway.

Just as the four them were going to move multiple little green marbles shot out at their feet to stop them. "Stop there trespassers! You may not set foot in the village of the Sniper King unless you recite his noble song of manliness!"

Belle's eyes turned to stars as looked up to the cliff top to see a man wearing a red cape in a yellow and blue sun shaped mask. "IT'S SOGEKING!" she screamed excitedly.

"Oh no…" Kaisetsu muttered.

"Who?" Ackmor asked.

"IT'S SOGEKING! The most awesome, super-duper hero of the century!" Belle screamed as her body shook uncontrollably from excitement, "Everything about him is just so...so perfect. His mask, his physique, his intellect, and most importantly...his song!" She shouted before clearing her throat and took a center place in front of the cliff in front of her idol. "Sogeking-senpai, please allow me the honor of singing alongside you!"

"Hmph, it is always a privilege to sing along the Great Sogeking, whose presence is so overwhelming that even evil doers assist in the act of song!" Sogeking said.

"Oh God...oh god no!" Kaisetsu shouted as she covered her ears.

"...Should we really get distracted by this?" Ackmor asked worrying about the poisoned boy.

"Don't worry...it's painful but quick. Just ignore the sound and maybe they'll go away!" Kaisetsu told him dropping the boy to plug her ears.

 **Sogeking Song**

 **Singers: Sogeking and Belle**

 _ **On the Island of Snipers**_

 _ **I was born**_

 _ **100 Shots, 100 Hits**_

 _ **Lu lu la la lu~**_

 _ **On a mouse's eyeball**_

 _ **LOCK ON**_

 _ **On your heart**_

 _ **LOCK ON!**_

 _ **The man who came from**_

 _ **the Island of Snipers**_

 _ **Lu lu, lu lu la la**_

 _ **You better run away**_

 _ **Sniper sniper sniper…**_

 _ **SOOOOGEKIIIINGUUUUUUUU~!**_

"Ah! Now...my life has new meaning now…" Belle said as she bowed gracefully to Sogeking, "I will never be able to fully repay you for this great honor, Sogeking-senpai."

"It is my utmost pleasure to have a fan who sings as gracefully as you," Sogeking said.

Kaisetsu, whose ears were bleeding from the horrible singing, stood up, "Yeah, that's if graceful means god-awful."

"I don't think it was that bad," Ackmor said.

"Your ears are bleeding too, Ackmor," Kaisetsu said as she pointed out the blood dripping from his ear.

"Ah, that's right!" Belle shouted as she remembered, "Sogeking-senpai…"

"Please, just Sogeking." Sogeking interrupted.

"Sogeking, sir, we are in dire need of your help." Belle said pointing to the poisoned boy, "We found this boy drifting at sea with a terrible poisoning, so we came here looking for a doctor. Please, can you help us?!" She asked as she got on her knees and begged.

"She didn't have to beg…" Kaisetsu muttered.

"Besides, he's not going to help us since we trespassed on his island," Ackmor said.

"Of course I'll help you." Sogeking said, "You did sing my song with remarkable skill, so think of this as me returning the favor."

"He actually agreed?!" Ackmor and Kaisetsu asked in complete shock of the 180.

"Oh thank you! Thank you so much, Sogeking, sir!" Belle shouted with her eyes sparkling even brighter.

"Quickly, I have a friend who is a skilled doctor," Sogeking said as he led the group through the island.

"Don't you mean you're wife ya idiot" Kaisetsu mumbled to herself as she picked the unconscious boy again to follow after them with Ackmor.

"Silly Kai~," Belle said, "The Great Sogeking sadly has little time for love and romance." She said as she became teary-eyed, "It's a sadequivalentt exchange for the powers of a hero!"

Kaisetsu and Ackmor both had giantsweat dropss running down their head as they watched the straw hat girl follow close after her idol.

"Father, Mother, I now understand what pain you both went through with Uncle Luffy" Kaisetsu sighed as she carried the unconscious boy.

"So...do you know something about this Sogeking person?" Ackmor wondered.

"I'll tell you later when he takes his mask off." Kaisetsu whispered.

"Why not now?" Ackmor asked.

"...Let's just say I don't want to crush Belle's hopes and dreams…" Kaisetsu replied.

However, the group did not realize that they were being watched from above. Up in the sky were the two birds Daphne had sent to spy on them. Having gathered enough information, one of the birds flew back to its master's ship.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

The bird landed on Daphne's arm back at the ship and showed a video recording of their target.

"Well, my prey is almosssst dead." Scarlet said, "Even with the help of a doctor, they would never be able to counter my poisssson."

"I don't care if the boy lives or dies." King Kong said as he stared at the video, "The only thing I'm after is that bear on his left hand."

"The puppet, sir?" Carl asked.

"That thing is no puppet, Carl. It is a living animal, make no mistake about that." King Kong said.

"And what of those kids and this Sogeking character?" Daphne asked.

"I don't care about anyone of those humans. Just the bear along with the riches of this island." King Kong said. "The first thing that must be done is to retrieve our target without drawing unnecessary attention. We need animals that can walk through the night."

"Ahaha! Let me send my pups! They have eyes of hawks and ears of foxes!" Gary shouted, "Night is nothing but child's play for them."

"Too bad they have inherited your lack of intellect." Scarlett said.

"Now, now Scarlett, you give Gary's hounds less credit than they deserve." Daphne said, "They are the reason we've obtained so many loyal subjects in the first place with their unique hunting skills."

"I agree with Daphne." Carl said, "Not only that, but they are able to get the job done swiftly than any human can."

"Yeah! All they need to do is kill the boy, rip that animal off his arm and bring it back here." Gary said, "The islanders will just deem his death due to the wild life."

"An excellent plan, Gary. Carry it out." King Kong ordered.

Gary smirked at Scarlett, "My hounds inherited their lack of intellect from whom?!" He asked.

"Ssssshut the hell up you oaf!" Scarlett shouted as she stormed away from the room.

Gary laughed at the snake's retreat as slowly walked over to five steel cages, "It's time to fight again, guys!" He called as he heard the sounds of growling, "Think of this as your early dinner tonight but be sure to be sneaky about it! Hahahahaha!"

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Here we are!" Sogeking said as the group arrived at the front gates of a large luxurious mansion.

"Whoa…" Ackmor said in awe. "What kind of building is this?"

"This, my friend, is called a mansion." Sogeking explained, "My friend here is one of the richest people in all of the four blues."

"I don't get it." Ackmor said, "What does being rich have to do with it?"

"Hahaha, you have much to learn, boy." Sogeking said, "Please wait here while I grant you passage."

"Dude, we can just go inside with you." Kaisetsu said.

"Nonsense! To be given passage into this place requires the words from Sogeking himself, thus I must be alone; otherwise, they might grow suspicious of you." Sogeking explained, "But do not fear! Your hero will return momentarily!"

"Oh yes sir, Sogeking, sir!" Belle shouted as they watched Sogeking walk to the guards stationed in front of the gates.

Ackmor turned his attention to the poisoned boy. He felt relieved when he was still breathing, "How is he?"

"Well, I gave him some fresh water along with a healing herb my mother gave to me." Kaisetsu explained, "I've managed to slow down the poisoning a bit, but...it's not enough."

"How long does he have?" Ackmor asked.

"I can't tell…" Kaisetsu said, "I've never seen poison like this before. Whatever snake bit him, it's got to have been a rare species."

"That's unfortunate. I'm hoping this doctor will be able to save him then" Ackmor said.

"This would have gone faster if your hero had just taken us in with him, Belle!" Kaisetsu shouted.

"Sogeking knows what he's doing! He believes in this boy's will to live and see another day so have faith in him like Sogeking does!" Belle stated waiting for her hero to emerge.

"...I feel so sorry for this boy right now…" Kaisetsu muttered.

"...Me too…" Ackmor said.

"Excuse me, are you the people Lady Kaya was informed about," Spoke a female butler sent by Kaya.

"Yes we are. We need a doctor to help this poor boy!" Kaisetsu said.

"Yeah, Sogeking is trying to get us in." Belle said.

"Sogeking has already informed Lady Kaya, that's why she sent me." The butler said as she opened the gates, "Please, follow me."

"Is Sogeking inside waiting for us too? I have so many questions to ask him?!" Belle asked excitedly.

"You can fantasize about him later!" Kaisetsu shouted as she dragged Belle along with her.

"I'm sorry little miss. Sogeking-sama was so suddenly called away to assist a neighboring island that was under siege" the butler explained to the young straw hat girl.

"AWWW! NOOO~! I WANT MY SOGEKING-SENPAI~!" Belle whined.

"Shut the hell up before I gag you, you big baby!" Kaisetsu screamed as she quickly lost her nerve.

"Will both of you shut up?! You're making this kid's poisoning worse with your yelling!" Ackmor shouted.

As the group entered the main lobby, they were met by a pretty blonde-haired woman. By her side were two doctors who carried a stretcher.

The sight of the purple-colored boy caused the woman to gasp in horror, "Oh goodness! The poisonings a lot worse than I was told!"

"Are you the doctor Sogeking told us about?" Belle asked.

"Yes, please place him on the stretcher, quickly." the woman told them.

Kaisetsu placed the poisoned boy onto the stretcher and they watched the two doctors take him into a resting room.

"Thank you so much for taking him in, Miss," Kaisetsu said bowing respectfully.

"It's my pleasure. My name is Kaya." Kaya said.

"Hi there, Kaya! I'm Monkey D. Belle!" Belle greeted.

"Roronoa Kaisetsu's my name." Kaisetsu greeted.

"And I'm Ackmor." Ackmor greeted.

"Monkey D? Roronoa? Are you related to...Oh!" Kaya's eyes widen, "You must be Luffy and Zoro's kids, am I correct?!"

"Um...yeah we are, but...how do you know us?" Belle asked.

"Well neither of you have met me, but I'm sure you've met my husband," Kaya said.

"Well, of course, we-" Kaisetsu was interrupted by Belle.

"You have a husband?" Belle asked which made Kaisetsu facepalm.

"Yes, but you do know him...right?" Kaya asked.

"Sorry she forgets about uncle Usopp a lot," Kaisetsu tells her.

"Usopp? Isn't he a disciple of Sogeking-senpai?" Belle asked

Kaya sweat dropped at that but shook her head to focus on her task at hand. "We'll talk later. Right now I need to go save this young boy. Please wait here until I can give you an update." she said motioning for her doctors to follow her to an open operation room inside the mansion.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Belle said, "Do you guys know where the kitchen is?"

"Why are you thinking of food at a time like this?" Ackmor asked.

"Because I'm hungry?" Belle asked.

"I hate to admit it, but I'm starving too," Kaisetsu said as she rubbed her stomach.

"Even so, it's very rude to eat off of Kaya's food," Ackmor said.

"If you all are looking for something to eat, I can arrange lunch for all of you." Kaya's maid said.

"Aw sweet! I could really go for some chicken fried rice and beef curry!" Belle shouted with her mouth watering at the prospect of food.

"If it's not too much trouble can I have some grilled pork tenderloins and Lo Mein noodles?" Kaisetsu asked. "With a Caesar salad."

"Girls, this isn't a restaurant!" Ackmor shouted."Whatever is left over from your last dinner, I'll take," Ackmor said hoping not to cause the chefs too much trouble.

"Very well. We will begin the preparation for you lunches now. Please make yourselves comfortable in the dining room and we will be in there shortly." the maid said as she left the trio to deliver their orders.

After patiently waiting in the dining room fitted with a very long table, the waiters brought the trio their desired meals.

"A chicken fried rice bean bun with beef curry for you, ma'am." A butler said as he placed Belle's food in front of her.

"Oooh man! Those cooks can really cook!" Belle shouted as she stared at the food.

"Grilled pork tenderloins and Lo Mein noodles with a caesar salad just as you ordered, ma'am." Another butler said as he placed Kaisetsu's food in front of her.

"Thank you very much, sir," Kaisetsu said.

"And you, sir, asked for the leftovers from last night's dinner which was steam fried shrimp with honey-glazed rice and sauteed soup." The butler said, "We did our absolute best to recreate the taste this meal had the day it was served."

"It's no big deal. Thank you for the meal." Ackmor said as the butlers bowed and left the trio alone to their meals.

"You know, Acky, *munch* you could have just ordered a *munch* delicious meal like Kai and me," Belle said chewing on her pork tenderloin.

"I told you, Belle, this isn't a restaurant where you can just demand your food the way you want it." Ackmor told her. "I mean, we just barged in here with a dying boy and we're here munching on food while Kaya and her assistants are working their butts off to save him!"

"Too much stress isn't good for your body, Ackmor." Kaisetsu said, "Calm down before your voice booms throughout the entire mansion."

"Yeah, so far you've been *munch* getting angry at everything we do, Acky," Belle said with her mouth stuffed full of pork tenderloins.

Ackmor face palmed himself at the straw hat girl lack of grace. "It's called having manners, Belle. Something I'm surprised your mother didn't beat into you by now" he said sighing as he picked up his fork to start eating.

"You wound me, Ackmor. I do to have manners," Belle said as she took the pose a wealthy maiden would have, "I just do not deem this dinner fitting for such trivial things."

"...I don't know what the hell that was, but please go back to your regular self." Ackmor said, "You're less cringe-worthy that way."

"As you wish, Acky~," Belle said.

"And stop calling me that!" Ackmor shouted angrily.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

A few hours later, the boy Belle and her crew brought to Kaya woke up from his sleep. He felt a stinging pain on his right shoulder, "..."

"Thank goodness you are awake." Kaya said as she walked into the room to notice the boy waking from his slumber, "I was afraid we lost you to the poison."

"..." The boy remained silent as he looked at his right shoulder, which was wrapped in bandages.

"It's alright son you must be very confused and tired. My name is Kaya I'm the doctor who operated on you when you were brought into my clinic. Would you like some water?" Kaya asked walking to his bedside table.

The boy shook his head as he lied down on the bed facing away from her.

"Are you sure. The people who brought you in said you were deathly pale." Kaya said, "If you went two whole days without enough water in your system, then it is crucial that you drink some even if you don't want to."

"I'm fine." A voice said. "You don't...need to worry about me."

Kaya knitted her eyebrows together not expecting such a high-pitched voice from the young man. "Well, I hate to disappoint you, but because you are my patient it's my job to worry about you. So if you won't do it for yourself will you do it for me?" she asked kindly holding out a filled up ice cold water cup to him.

"I told you that I'm fine." the voice said, "I just...need some rest...that's all."

"...Very well then, but I will leave this cup here in case you do grow thirsty." Kaya said, "I'll inform Belle that the poison inflicted upon you is weakening. Be sure you get plenty of rest and don't move out of your bed, or the poison will get stronger."

"...Okay…" The voice said.

"My, I don't imagine you having such a high-pitched voice," Kaya said.

"I...My voice didn't change when I went through puberty." the voice said.

Kaya raised an eyebrow since the statement didn't make any sense to her, but she shook it off, "I'll be back soon to bring you some food. What would you like?"

"Anything that doesn't have meat on it." The voice said, "And if you have honey, that would be nice."

"Well, we have some Caesar salad along with a jar of honey from last night's dinner, um...I apologize if this is rude but could you give me your name?." Kaya asked.

"...Yoshino...Yoshino Ghoul." Yoshino said.

"Yoshino, okay a caesar salad and a bowl of honey for you. I'll be right back." Kaya said as she left the room.

Yoshino sat up again and looked out the window. He sighed, "Momo, have you woken up yet?" He thought.

"..."

He sighed and thought in his mind, "If it wasn't for you...I would have been dead. Those people...those freaky animals...what did they want with us?"

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _Last night, Yoshino was backed into a corner on a large jungle-themed boat by the four animal knights. His left arm was bleeding and his face was covered in bruises and scratches._

 _"There'ssssss no usssse in running, boy!" Scarlett said._

 _"Don't be afraid, we're only trying to keep you safe." Daphne said._

 _Yoshino glared at the four animal knights and tried to look for a way out of his predicament._

 _"What? Don't have anything to ssssay to usss?" Scarlett asked._

 _"Even if he wanted to, he can't." Carl said._

 _"Hm, what do you mean?" Daphne asked._

 _"Take a look at his throat," Carl said as he pointed at Yoshino's throat, which had stitches on them indicating signs of a cut._

 _"Come on! What does that have to do with his silent treatment?!" Gary asked._

 _"If you would jusssst use that head of yoursss…" Scarlett said, "He'ssss a mute now! Hisss vocal chordsss were cut."_

 _"Oh, a mute? I've always wanted a mute~!" Daphne said with an evil giggle_

 _ **"He might not have something to say, but Momo does! You all smell like a gorilla's ass!"** a high pitched voice screamed at them._

 _"...What was that?!" Carl asked._

 _"A g-g-g-ghost?!" Gary asked._

 _"No, you doult! Ghostsssss don't exxxxxxisssssst!" Scarlett shouted bonking him on the head._

 _ **"That's right, though the ghost idea does sound cool…"** The high-pitched voice said, **"It was Momo!"** Suddenly, the black-and-white colored bear on Yoshino's left arm revealed himself to the four jungle knights._

 _All four of the Jungle Knights' eyes widen at the sight of the talking bear that was supposed to have been a puppet of some kind._

 _"Did that puppet just...talk?" Daphne asked._

 _"Hey! Momo is not a puppet! Momo is a real live bear and don't you forget it!" Momo shouted._

 _"A talking bear resting on a boy's left hand like a puppet...King Kong might find this individual intriguing." Carl said._

 _"I might find who intriguing, Carl?" King Kong said as he arrived at the scene._

 _"Oh, your majesty, I believe we've found a potential experiment~!" Daphne said excitedly._

 _"An experiment? My knights, I ordered you to kill this boy for trespassing into my holy kingdom!" Kong yelled glaring at his four knights before eyeing the boy. "What's so special about this boy and his bear puppet?"_

 _Momo felt a tick mark appear on his forehead before shooting a bolt of lighting at Kong's crown. **"Momo isn't a damn puppet you freak of nature! Momo is a demon bear and I'll send you all to hell if you call me a puppet again!"** yelled the angry little demon._

 _"Momo, shut up!" Yoshino shouted at him in his mind, "You're going to get us killed!"_

 _"Oooooh~! He can shoot lightning too?! Can I keep him, please Your Highness?!" Daphne asked with sparkles coming out of her eyes._

 _King Kong was growling in anger after having his crown nearly fall into the ocean because of Momo, "Why on earth would I want to put up with that kind of attitude. I don't care if he can do flips, I still want him dead!"_

 _"But, your highness, we could use an animal like...Coco." Daphne said._

 _ **"It's Momo!"** Momo shouted._

 _"We could try and make Coco loyal to us and make him do anything we say." Daphne said, "Having a bear that can shoot lightning would become a great asset, plus he's a demon and people say that there is a demon who provides unspeakable riches. This bear or its master could be who we've been searching for!"_

 _"Wow...sssshe's really into that bear, isssssn't ssshe?" Scarlett asked with a sweatdrop._

 _King Kong rubbed his chin in deep thought. The idea of gaining potential invaluable riches was far too valuable for him to pass up, "Hm...very well. We'll keep the little puppet as our pet,Daphnee."_

 _"Yaaay~!" Daphne cheered._

 _"BUT! If you are wrong, I'll send all of your dolphins to the meat grinder!" King Kong threatened._

 _Daphne's eyes widen in complete shock as she got on her knees and cried, "No! Anything but my babies! You wouldn't hurt my babies!"_

 _"...She does realize we don't actually have a meat grinder, right?" Carl asked._

 _"Sssshe alwayssssss overreactsssss like thissss." Scarlett said._

 _"Grr, enough already! If King Kong wants us to capture those two, then let's do it already!" Gary shouted, "I'm getting bored from just standing around!"_

 _"Wait...speaking of those two, where did they go?" Carl asked looking at the spot Yoshino and Momo were suppose to have been standing._

 _Gary eyes widen before he growled. "Dammit they escaped!" letting out a loud shrill whistle that summoned his pack of wolves. "Okay pups find me that boy and drag him back here!" He commanded as his wolves sniffed the area Yoshino was standing at._

 _Afterwards, the wolves circled around the head of the ship only to be sent flying by a lightning attack._

 _ **"Anyone who gets near Yoshino gets another serving of lightning from Momo!"** Momo shouted._

 _"Momo, don't waste too much of your energy." Yoshino said in his head, "We still need to get out of this mess."_

 _ **"Momo knows that, but he's trying to keep Yoshino and himself alive."** Momo thought._

 _"Again, kid, there'sss nowhere for you to run." Scarlett said as she slowly transformed into a large viper, "I'll make ssssure you never run again."_

 _Yoshino looked back to the viper girl, but was too late to dodge and received a huge bite from her._

 _ **"Yoshino!"** Momo shouted, **"Let Yoshino go you, ugly hag!"** Momo shouted as he bit the snake woman and shocked both Scarlett and Yoshino._

 _When Scarlett let go of her target, she ended up tearing a bit of skin from the boy causing blood to splatter all over the deck._

 _Yoshino stumbled back and clenched his shoulder in excruciating pain. The massive blood loss was too much for his body to take and his mind slowly slipped out of consciousness. When he went unconscious, Yoshino's body ended up falling into the sea._

 _ **"Don't worry, Yoshino! Momo will get us out of this!"** Momo shouted as he opened his mouth and shot a black energy ball into the sea. The black ball caused the sea to swirl into a vortex creating a portal, **"This might cause Momo to go into deep sleep for three days, but Yoshino will be far away from those creepy animals…"** Momo said before his red eye darkened signalling his sleep stasis just before Yoshino disappeared into the vortex portal._

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Yoshino sighed as he stared at his sleeping friend, _"Three days must still not have passed if you're still asleep."_ He thought, _"How long have I been out?"_ He asked as he clenched his head in pain. _"I can't stay here...I've...I've got to get out of here."_ He said as he looked at the window.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

At the mansion lounge, Ackmor stared at Yoshino's red compass with curiosity. "That's odd…"

"What is it, Ackmor?" Kaisetsu asked as she watched Belle, who was staring at a large fish tank, from the lounge couch.

"Kaisetsu, is there a compass that you can open?" Ackmor asked.

"There are compasses that you either can or can't open. Why?" Kaisetsu asked.

"This compass seems to have something inside it." Ackmor said after he opened the compass to see writing on it.

"It's best not to looking into other people's stuff." Kaisetsu said as she turned back to see Belle grabbing a fish, "Belle! If you eat that fish I will cut your hands off!" She shouted.

"Awww~ but I like fish." Belle said as she put the fish back.

Kaisetsu felt a tick form on her forehead as she stood up, walked over to Belle, and began lecturing her, "I swear! This is the first island we've been on together and you're already being a big nuisance!"

As Kaisetsu continued lecturing the straw-hat girl, Ackmor read the writing on Yoshino's compass. "2/14. Never forget." Ackmor raised an eyebrow at the statement, "February 14th?

"Acky~" Belle cried jumping into the amnesia boy lap. "Acky, Kai's being really mean to me! She won't let me have any fun with the fishes!" the strawhat girl said pouting up at her friend before looking at the date inside the watch. "Valentine's day? Why is the date for Valentine's written here?"

"Belle! What am I? A chair to you? Get off!" Ackmor shouted as he shoved Belle off of him.

"Aw...is everyone going to be this mean to me~?" Belle asked.

"If you keep acting like a child they'll likely treat you like one." Ackmor said.

Belle puffed out her cheeks. "I'm not a child! I just know how to have fun and be wild. You don't always have to act your age ya know."

"You call eating a bunch of live fish from someone else's fish tank, fun?" Kaisetsu asked, "You really need someone to teach you the word, manners."

"Oh contraire, dear Kai. I do indeed grasp the concept of manners." Belle said as she again intimidated a wealthy maiden.

"Just...just stop Belle." Ackmor pleaded with as much sanity in his tone as possible.

"So which is it? Do I get to stay childish and playful or..." Belle said normally before switching to her sophisticated maiden voice. "Do I act like the proper lady you both desire?"

"BE PLAYFUL!" Ackmor cried picking Belle up to sit on his lap again. "Please, I can't stand that thing you do with your voice! No more maiden talk," he asked with his eye twitching at how disturbing it was.

Belle broke into a wide smile as she snuggled into Ackmor's lap. "Yay Acky being nice to me again!"

"Stop calling me that!" the boy yelled trying to control the urge to knock her off again.

Kaisetsu watched the two of them and just shook her head. "I give up...I'm stuck with idiots I gu,ess" the young swordswoman said as she turned to leave the room.

"Where are you off to, Kaisetsu?" Ackmor asked.

"I'm going to take a walk. It's getting really boring waiting for the condition of that boy." Kaisetsu said as she left.

"Don't get lost on the way out." Belle shouted.

"SHUT UP!" Kaisetsu screamed back as she walked out of the maison to explore the island.

"Well, that means Acky has to keep me occupied now~ Let's play a game Acky!" Belle asked happily.

"...If it's a childish game then I'm not playing it." Ackmor said.

"Ummm we can play hide and seek or we can play cards?" Belle asked.

"All of which are childish." Ackmor finished.

"Not if we play mature card games like poker or blackjack?" Belle countered.

"Aren't those the games you lose your money in if you lose?" Ackmor asked. "Because I don't have money."

Belle grinned devilishly. "That's why they call them mature games! We can play strip poker or we can play rummy or maybe even king's corners."

"I have no idea what any of those even are." Ackmor said.

Belle pouted. "Umm the rules for Rummy is..."

"When playing Rummy with two, three, or four players, each player gets ten cards; when playing with five players, each player gets six cards. With more than five players, you must use two decks of cards and a hand of seven cards. The two-player game can also be played with seven cards each. It's also about making sure you get three of a kind depending on the numbers or the suites" a deep but squeaky voice explained as a lightly tanned muscular man wearing a pair of yellow overall pants with no shirt on with a fisherman's hat on with a pair of orange goggles hanging around his neck with a yellow satchel hanging around his body.

"You seem to know quite a bit about this game, sir." Ackmor said to the man.

"Well when you travel around the sea as long as I have, you can pick up a few neat tricks." The man said.

"Say...have I seen you before?" Ackmor asked as he noticed the man's long nose.

"I...don't believe you have." The man said as he took a heroic pose, "You may call me the Great Captain Usopp, the most powerful leader of defenders who reign over this island!"

"Y-You are?!" Belle and Ackmor asked in shock.

Usopp sweat dropped at noticing Belle has forgotten about him again. "It seems you have forgotten about me again Belle-chan" he said shaking his head at the straw hat girl.

"..." Belle stared at Usopp for a long time but shook her head and smiled, "Sorry, not ringing a bell."

"Hold on, you two know each other?" Ackmor asked.

"Nope." Belle replied. "Never seen him before in my life."

"You have seen me before Belle-chan! It's Usopp, remember?! U-S-O-P-P!" Usopp shouted.

"Listen, I know you're trying to be the comedic guy, but the joke's already gotten old." Belle said.

"It's not a joke! I know you and you should know me long before now!" Usopp shouted.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but I'm a bit lost here." Ackmor said. "Do you two know each other or not?"

"According to Belle's short-term memory, we don't; however, we really do know each other. I happen to be one of Luffy's closest and unforgettable nakama." Usopp explained.

"Oh, no wonder Belle never mentioned you." Ackmor said, "Belle did say there were a total of 15 people on her father's crew but she only named 14."

"Ooooh! So you're THAT Usopp, the whiny Usopp, right?" Belle asked.

"I'm not whiny, Belle-chan!" Usopp shouted.

"Oh, then cowardly? A fraidy cat? Or…" Belle said.

"None of those!" Usopp shouted starting to lose hope.

"Oh I remember now!" Belle said clapping her fist into her hand making Usopp look happy. "You're the big fat liar!"

Usopp tripped to the ground with a hand over his heart. "Oh the pain..."

"...I feel like I'm missing some important context here." Ackmor said.

"It's fine…" Usopp said regaining his composure, "I guess I have no choice but to explain everything." He said as he began to explain everything to Ackmor.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Back at the lounge, Usopp had just finished his story with Ackmor, who was listening carefully, unlike the sleeping Belle.

"I see...but if you did all those amazing things, how come Belle forgets you easily?" Ackmor asked.

"Belle has her father's habit of forgetting "uninteresting" people." Usopp said, "But I'm the most interesting out of all the Straw hats. In fact, I'm the one who guided Luffy all the way through the Grandline!"

"Shishi, you're such a liar, nose guy! It was my mom and Auntie Robin who guided Dad, not you." Belle said.

"Geez, that's a little harsh…" Ackmor thought before the said, "Well we're sorry we intruded in your home, sir, but he needed Kaya's help to take care of a boy's poisoning."

"A boy? What happened?" Usopp asked.

Belle and Ackmor began to explain to Usopp how they found Yoshino drifting in the sea with his poisoned body.

"Wait, about that bite you mentioned earlier, could it have been from a snake?" Usopp asked.

"It's a possibility; however, the bite mark was massive. If a snake did bite him, it must be enormous." Ackmor said.

"Not to mention that it's venom could have been deadlier if that boy didn't struggle as much as he did." Belle said.

"There were signs of struggle?" Ackmor asked.

"You didn't noticed how his skin looked?" Belle asked, "It seemed on his right shoulder that a piece of his skin was torn off. Could a snake's grip be that tight?"

"It is possible...but…" But then Usopp stopped himself when he saw Kaya walking through the halls.

Kaya's eyes lighted up when she saw her husband, "Ah, honey, you're back~!" She cheered as she wrapped him in a warm hug.

"Hey, Kaya, you didn't get lonely in here, did you?" Usopp asked.

"Of course not. Why would you even ask such a question?" Kaya asked, "I went on a shopping spree a few hours ago and when I returned home, Belle and her friends arrived with an injured patient. So no, I was not lonely and I was not at all bored either."

"Okay...sorry that I asked." Usopp said.

"Oh, speaking of the boy, how is he?" Ackmor asked.

"Yoshino will be fine. I managed to stop the poisoning so it would disappear on its own. As long as he doesn't move around too much, he'll be better in no time." Kaya explained.

"Yoshino?" Belle asked.

"The boy you brought in." Kaya said. "That's his name."

"You talked to him?" Ackmor asked.

"Yes, although it seems he hasn't hit puberty yet so his voice is a little high-pitched." Kaya said.

"Pfft, hehehe...high-pitched?!" Belle asked as she tried to hold in a laugh.

"How is having a high-pitched voice funny to you?!" Ackmor asked.

"S-Sorry, it's just that my dad told me this story of a huge giant having the most chipmunk-sounding voice!" Belle explained as she held in a giggle.

"...Your Dad must have had the weirdest adventure…" Ackmor said.

"And if you think a giant high-pitched mountain is weird, you're in for a treat!" Usopp said

"High-pitched mountain?" Ackmor asked.

"The adventures i had with Luffy and the crew are some stories that can go down in books for generations to share," Usopp said puffing up his chest proudly.

"Ooh! Oo! How can you tell a story about dad and his crew when you weren't there long-nose-san?" Belle asked.

"Why must you always forget such a simple name? It's Usopp, damnit!" Usopp shouted as shameful tears streamed down his cheeks.

"I'm having the distinct feeling that his spirit is broken…" Ackmor whispered as he watched Kaya try to cheer up her husband.

As the commotion was going on in the main living room a nurse assigned to Kaya was making their way to Yoshino's room to check on the boy.

"Mr. Yoshino-kun I've brought the dinner you requ..." the young nurse started to say before discovering the boy was no longer in the room. "Oh no he's gone!"

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Yoshino's body ached all over in pain as he limped through the forest away from Kaya's mansion, "I just...need to walk carefully or the poison will kill me," He thought.

But suddenly, he heard the sounds of rapid movement around him. Deep within the dark forest were five animals ready to strike.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"What do you mean he vanished?!" Kaya asked the nurse who informed her of Yoshino's disappearance.

"P-Please forgive me, Mrs. Kaya, but it's the truth." The nurse said, "The patient was nowhere in sight inside the room."

"That's not good...with a poisoned body like his he won't last long out there." Ackmor said.

"Not just that, the villagers have been telling me that they've heard strange noises in the forest." Kaya said.

"Strange noises?" Belle asked.

"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Usopp said as he walked to the door, "Let's hurry and find him before he gets himself killed."

"Be careful all of you," Kaya said as Belle and Ackmor also walked towards the door.

"Have no fear, Mrs. Kaya, because all of us will return in one piece!" Belle shouted with a smirk.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"What? Not a clap for Belle?" Belle asked.

Ackmor angrily grabbed the girl's orange hair and dragged her out, "How about a hair-pull instead?!

"Ow! Ow! OOOW! Easy with the hair, Acky~! I just combed it!" Belle shouted.

"And I just lost my patience with your idiocy, so shut your mouth or I'll shut if for you!" Ackmor shouted angrily.

Usopp gulped a little as his whole face began to sweat in fear, "D-Deja vu, I guess? I wouldn't want to anger someone like him…"

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Where am I…?" Yoshino thought as he continued to limp through the dark forest, "What island is this and how did I end up here?" He thought as he looked at Momo, "Momo...if only you were still awake…"

That was when he heard the sounds of deep growling. Yoshino turned around and saw five black wolves each having mechanical legs and sharper-than-normal teeth.

"Th-they found us so quickly?!" Yoshino thought as he slowly backed away from the wolves that stepped forward towards him.

One of the wolves decided to rush at Yoshino and bite him, but the mute boy managed to dodge the bite as another wolf also tried to bite him.

Acting quickly, Yoshino grabbed a branch and stopped the wolf's bite by blocking with the branch. The other two wolves managed to bite both sides of Yoshino's torso while the other two bit him on his shoulders.

"G-Get off me!" Yoshino thought as he felt immense pain from the blood pouring from his wounds.

"Yoshino!" Belle shouted when she, Usopp, and Ackmor arrived on the scene.

"What...are those things?!" Ackmor asked in shock.

"Those are wolves...but...they don't live in the Gecko Islands." Usopp said as he took out his lime-green sling shot, "Hang on kid!" He shouted as he prepared to shoot at the wolves.

But that was when a sudden voice sang a song throughout the forest.

 **Lost in Thoughts. All Alone**

 **Singer: ? ? ?**

 _ **You are an ocean of waves**_

 _ **Weaving a dream, like thoughts become a river stream**_

"Wow...such a beautiful voice." Ackmor said.

"That voice…" Belle whispered.

"Look! The wolves…" Ackmor said as he pointed at the wolves getting off of Yoshino.

 _ **Yet may the tide ever change**_

 _ **Flowing like time, to the path, yours to climb**_

All five of the wolves began to calm down. Some of them even sat down and did not growl at all.

"They've calmed down?" Ackmor asked as he rushed over to look over Yoshino, who lost consciousness due to blood loss. "How was that possible?"

"...Sakuya? You can come out you know." Usopp said.

That was when a pink-haired girl with purple eyes stepped out from behind a tree. The girl wore a pink dress with a yellow flower on the center of her abdomen. On her neck was a necklace with a small accordion on the end.

"Sakuya?" Belle asked, "Is that you?!"

"Hi Belle," Sakuya said. "Long time no see,"

"I'll say," Belle asked, "Great timing on that song. I see it hasn't lost its charm."

"It's a good thing you came back when you did, Sakuya," Usopp said. "These wolves would have also been killed if you didn't intervene."

"Guys! Yoshino's bleeding out!" Ackmor shouted, "We need to get him back to Kaya now!"

Sakuya stared at Ackmor and then at Yoshino for a few seconds until her eyes suddenly turned into pink hearts, "Oh my…two cute men~!" She shouted as she hugged Ackmor tightly, "Has anyone told you how handsome you and Yoshino-kun look? You're so handsome…wanna have a date with me, my Prince?"

"Huh? Prince?!" Ackmor asked in shock.

"Oh no…" Usopp whispered.

"Well...nothing has really changed with Sakuya except her age," Belle said.

"That's right, my sweet prince!" Sakuya replied, "You don't need to worry about picking the date spot because I'm okay with anything as long as I'm with you and Yoshino-kun."

"W-what?! Who are you?" Ackmor asked.

"Oh, pardon my rudeness, my love. I am the Siren Sakuya Reevus." Sakuya said as she blew a kiss, "So…about that date."

"Nevermind the date! Help me get Yoshino back to the mansion!" Ackmor shouted.

"Your wish is my command, my Prince!" Sakuya said as she gladly picked Yoshino up, "Ooh, he's lighter than he looks."

"Wow...that's a personality I didn't expect," Ackmor said. "Is this girl seriously Sanji's daughter? Did he marry a mermaid or something?"

"Well, that's Uncle Sanji's daughter for ya," Belle said, "Always looking to flirt the first handsome boy she sees."

"That's Sanji's daughter," Ackmor asked, "She sure doesn't look human."

"Actually, Sakuya is a Siren and she isn't Sanji's daughter, he adopted her," Usopp explained.

"Yes, my Mom and Dad were unable to conceive a child of their own so when they found me they raised me as their own," Sakuya explained. "I would love to tell you more..…"

"No time for backstories! Boy dying. Need help. Go to mansion now!" Ackmor ordered pushing everyone in the clearing towards the mansion.

Bella pouted. "Acky is so mean~ You have to learn to live a little buddy if not you're going to have a heart attack before you're twenty."

Ackmor had multiple tick marks appear on his head as he grinded his teeth together. "And you're going to drive me insane and when I snap-"

"Acky is your name? Oh it's such a lovely name for a boy as handsome as you!" Sakuya interrupted with her eyes the shape of hearts.

"Sakuya, that's my name for Ackmor! No one else can call him that!" Belle growled.

Usopp sighed as he took Yoshino out of Sakuya arms and hurried to the house hoping the horseplay hasn't done the boy anymore harm. "Yep this really is the second coming of the strawhat crew. May the seven seas survive this time around again..."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Kaisetsu was staring at the forest from the rooftop of Kaya's mansion, "Did I take a wrong turn? I was sure that the exit was downstairs not upstairs. How in the hell did I end up here?"

* * *

 **Jurabi: Alright, now there's a Siren. Let me explain about those since another person gave me a Siren OC and she is awesome! In Greek mythology, the Sirens were dangerous yet beautiful creatures, who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. ...That's so cool! Oda-senpai, please make this a thing in One Piece!**

 **Lazyfox: I like sirens! Well, I like mythology in general :3 I'm a Shakespeare girl so if you ever see a quote from him in the story when I co-op don't judge me or be surprised by it lol**

 **Jurabi: So about that Sogeking song...I'm sorry, but I had to put it in english because this story is basically labeled as English in its language category. I still enjoyed putting it in though.**

 **Lazyfox: Just look up the Sogeking song on youtube with the English subtitles it'll help heal you if it wounded your soul a bit. Hope you all enjoyed my little animal kingdom crew ^w^ Been revisiting the disney classic like Lion King, Jungle Book and Tarzan when I created them ^w^**

 **Jurabi: One last thing. We are all very sorry for those who have been affected by the massacre that occurred in Orlando. And before you guys talk about my feelings towards gay and lesbians, please know that the sexuality of the people killed there was the LAST thing that was on my mind when I first reacted to the news. The point is that people were killed and that saddens me so much.**

 **Lazyfox: Yes the shootings where a tragedy and the families have all been hurt enough and each and everyone of them are in my thoughts and prayers. I hope they'll be able to recover from this in time.**

 **Jurabi: Sorry for suddenly putting us into sad territory, but I wanted to say it at least once. Thank you all for reading this chapter. If you liked it please leave a favorite, follow, and review and we'll see you next chapter. Goodbye~!**

 **Lazyfox: Goodbye everyone~ Thank you for reading and I hope you all have a safe day and night!**


	4. The Siren

**Previously on One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates…**

 _ **"Ah! Now...my life has new meaning now…" Belle said as she bowed gracefully to Sogeking, "I will never be able to fully repay you for this great honor, Sogeking-senpai."**_

 _ **"It is my utmost pleasure to have a fan who sings as gracefully as you," Sogeking said.**_

 _ **Kaisetsu, whose ears were bleeding from the horrible singing, stood up and sighed, "Yeah, that's if graceful means god-awful."**_

 _ **"I don't think it was that bad," Ackmor said.**_

 _ **"Your ears are bleeding too, Ackmor," Kaisetsu said as she pointed out the blood dripping from his ear.**_

 **And now...back to the sea.**

* * *

 **The Siren**

The morning after the incident with the sudden wolf attack, Yoshino again found himself waking up in the same bedroom he was resting in, but now his shoulders and hips hurt a lot more.

" _What...happened?"_ The mute boy thought as he struggled to sit up.

"Good morning, my handsome prince! How are you feeling?" Sakuya asked when she suddenly popped up beside the auburn-haired boy after noticing he was awake.

Yoshino released a silent scream at the sudden appearance of the purple haired girl and nearly fell off the bed. Before he could tumble over the side he was caught by Ackmor.

"Whoa, take it easy. There's no need to be frightened," Ackmor said as he set the boy back onto his bed before he glared at Sakuya, who had a sheepish grin on her face.

"I told you not to scare him, Sakuya! His falling would have reopened or worse spread the poison in his system again," Ackmor scolded.

Sakuya looked heartbroken as she began to sob and bow to them. "Forgive me, my beloved princes! I'm not meant to stand in your presences with how lowly I am to your radiance! Please allow me to amend my crimes by preparing you both a splendid meal meant for kings" Sakuya begged them.

Both Ackmor and Yoshino looked at each other and then at the sobbing siren with confused faces.

"I'm sorry but...do I know you?" Yoshino asked through his bear puppet, Momo.

"Why of course you do, my lovely prince Yoshino-kun~!" Sakuya replied.

"You didn't need to add the kun…" Yoshino said through Momo with a sweat-drop.

"Oooh! You can even talk through your puppet?" Sakuya asked as her stars glittered in excitement, "Ah Yoshino-kun, does your perfection never end?!"

"Will you please stop fawning over me and just tell me who you are already?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Hehe, sorry. I am very pleased to meet you, Yoshino-kun. I am known as the fair princess who rescued you from the terror of man-eating wolves. Sakuya Reevus!" Sakuya shouted proudly.

"What? I'm a little lost here." Yoshino said through Momo, "What happened?"

"It's just like she said, you were attacked by wolves," Ackmor explained, "Just when you lost consciousness, Sakuya sang a beautiful song and calmed the wolves down."

Sakuya blushed as she hugged Ackmor tightly, "Ackmor-kun, it brings me joy to hear you compliment me like this!"

"Will you get off of me?!" Ackmor shouted with an annoyed expression.

"My apologies again, Ackmor-kun, but I sometimes cannot control myself when I am complimented," Sakuya explained with an even redder blush.

"Um…is she okay in the head?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Sorry about this woman's odd behavior, Yoshino," Ackmor said, "She's been like this ever since she laid eyes on us and to be honest, it's kinda getting on my nerves."

Kaisetsu walked through the door looking annoyed as hell. "Grr…how the hell did I end up from the roof to the sickbay? All I want to do is go outside!" she growled before she noticed the trio. "Sakuya, is that you?"

"Hi, Kai," Sakuya said as she waved, "My, did you do a lot of training? Those limbs of yours look...nice."

"K-Kaisetsu?! Don't tell me you've been wandering around the mansion since last night!" Ackmor shouted in complete shock.

Kaisetsu yawned as she scratched her neck. "Yea I did. I ended up on the roof twice because the stupid staff here told me to head to the north wing so when followed their directions I ended up on the roof, the bathroom, the attic, and kitchen. I got so damn tired of misdirection ended up sleeping on the roof last night."

Sakuya let out a haughty laugh. "I see Uncle Zoro's blood runs deep in you Kaisetsu-chan. Maybe it would have been better for you to allow your mother and my father to teach you instead of letting you go off to train with your handsome father."

"And you seem to have Uncle Sanji's annoying blood in your non-related veins as well," Kaisetsu said, "Is this because of what Nelson did for you and how he acted before he left?

"Nelson?" Ackmor asked.

"Oh, that's right. I wanted to meet Nelson-kun here, but I'm afraid I missed him by a few years," Sakuya said, "But despite that, Yoshino-kun's condition takes my top priority!" Sakuya declared.

"Listen, I appreciate the help but I don't need anyone to look after me," Yoshino said through Momo.

Kaisetsu, after hearing the loud squeaky voice, began to fight off her laughter, but it was to no use. "Bwahaha are you kidding me! Dude, you sound like a little mouse! Either that or you took one too many hits to the balls!" she laughed clutching her stomach.

Yoshino's face turned a light red from the raven haired girl's direct and unladylike response to the sound of Momo's voice.

"Kaisetsu!" Ackmor shouted, "That comment was completely out-of-line!"

"No, what's out of line is that a teenage boy sounds like a squeaky mouse!" Kaisetsu laughed.

Sakuya's eyes turned completely red and changed from a cute look to a desire to kill, "How dare you…?" She whispered as she glared at Kaisetsu, "How dare you insult my beloved prince, you witch?!"

Kaisetsu calmed down a bit when she noticed the look in Sakuya's eyes making her gain the same look as she reached for her sword's handle. "Oh, you looking for a fight elf ears? I'm game if you are" she taunted.

"Trust me, I'm not the same tolerant girl years ago! I'm always game for using your own swords to slice you up and leave your remains by the meat counter!" Sakuya shouted.

Just as the two girls were poised to strike each other they received two harsh blows to their heads courtesy of Kaya, who had just arrived in the sickbay with Belle and Usopp.

"This is a clinic for sick patients! Not an open field for you two to fight in!" Kaya scolded.

"She started it!" Sakuya shouted.

"You want me to end it then, you big whiny baby?!" Kaisetsu asked.

Kaya bonked them both on the head and then threw them out of the sick bay which caused Belle and Usopp to jump out of the way, "OUT!"

The collision with the wall outside caused the two girls to get knocked out on top of each other.

"Hehe, I'm glad that wasn't me that time…" Belle whispered.

"I second that statement," Usopp mumbled in fear of his wife's wrath.

Kaya wiped her hands together and straightened her clothes out before walking over to Yoshino with a friendly smile. "How are you feeling, Yoshino-kun?"

"I'm hurting a little, but I'll live," Yoshino said through Momo.

"I'm glad, " Kaya said before striking the boy on the head.

"OW!" Yoshino screamed through Momo as he rubbed his hurting head, "What was that for?"

"That's for leaving this bed when I told you not too! The poison in your system was very deadly and could have cost you your life if it had reached your heart! On top of the threat of the poison spreading, you got attacked by wolves that carry highly dangerous bacteria in their mouths so I kindly ask you that when I order you to sit in this bed to recover, you do it!" Kaya scolded as she looked directly into the boy's black eyes.

"But...you don't…" But Yoshino didn't finish his statement.

"Do I make myself clear?" Kaya asked him seriously.

Yoshino slowly and hesitantly nodded his head.

Kaya smiled as she softly petted his hair with care, "As your doctor, it doesn't matter to me if I know you on any personal level or not. You became my patient the second you were brought to me and it's my job to give you my utmost care so that you walk out of here a hundred percent better."

Kaya's smile painfully reminded Yoshino of another woman's smile that he wishes he could see again. Instead of fighting it, he let his head down, "S-Sure...if you really want me to rest, I will." He said through Momo.

"That's much better, Yoshino-kun." Kaya said as she helped him lay down on his bed, "You'll be up on your feet in no time as long as you keep your word."

"Oh and this compass is yours, right Yoshino?" Ackmor asked as he showed Yoshino the red compass.

"Yes…" Yoshino said through Momo.

"It must be really special to you," Ackmor said as he placed it on the counter next to Yoshino's hand, "I'll leave it with you then."

"Thank you...Can I rest now?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Certainly," Kaya said.

"Get to feeling better Yoshino. I'll try and keep the siren and the swordswoman out so you can sleep better," Ackmor said.

"Bye, Mr. Pupp-Gah!" Belle screamed when she was cut off by Ackmor when he grabbed her. "Acky~! Let me say my goodbye!"

"Stop shouting!" Ackmor whispered as he dragged her out of the room with Usopp and Kaya following them.

"Is he really going to be okay, Kaya?" Usopp asked.

"He will be." Kaya replied, "As long as he doesn't do anything else reckless, he should make a full recovery in a few days."

"That's good…" Usopp said as he kept himself in deep thought.

"Is there something wrong?" Ackmor asked.

"I'm concerned with what occurred last night with those wolves," Usopp said.

"That's true...those wolves also had those mechanical attachments on their legs," Ackmor said.

"I thought that was really cruel. Animals aren't meant to be hurt like that," Belle said.

"They shouldn't be hurt now. After we brought Yoshino in last night, we also brought those wolves and removed those parts." Usopp explained, "I'll try to look over them and see if I can find out who made them."

"But won't that get in the way of your other project, Usopp?" Kaya asked.

Usopp quickly covered Kaya's mouth and shush her, "Shh, they can't know about it yet…"

"Hey! Is there something we should know about, Long-nose?" Belle asked.

Usopp moved away from Kaya and shook his hands out in front of him. "N-no way. Aren't you two supposed to be concentrating on keeping Kaisetsu and Sakuya from killing each other and making sure Yoshino does what Kaya asked him to do?"

"Ha! We all know about your lying reputation, long-nose!" Belle said, "You're hiding something from us, aren't you?"

"Belle isn't that too far of an assumption?" Ackmor asked.

"It's not an assumption, Acky; I know for certain that he's hiding something," Belle said.

"How can you know that when you forget who he is when he walks out the room?" Ackmor asked.

"I may forget his name, but I never forget his lies!" Belle said with a wink.

"Since when did you have selective memory?!" Ackmor asked.

Usopp has a nervous sweatdrop run down his head when an idea popped into his head. "You're right! I _am_ hiding something, but I'm only doing that because Sogeking asked me too. It's a surprise the two us are creating so do you want to ruin it?"

Belle's eyes widen before turning into stars. "Sogeking-sensei wants to give us a surprise! Well, why didn't you say that before?!" She asked as she walked away, "Come on Acky let's not bother Long-nose anymore he has work to do!"

" _Just like that! A complete 180 in the personality department…"_ Ackmor thought with a sweat-drop as he followed Belle while also dragging the still unconscious Kaisetsu and Sakuya. _"These people are everywhere, aren't they?_

"She fell for it...thank God." Usopp whispered.

"I really thought you put the lying habit behind you, Usopp." Kaya said.

"I know...but I promised Luffy that I wouldn't ruin the surprise for his daughter." Usopp said. "I owe him that much."

"I guess, but if you ask me, you're lying isn't all bad. I mean it is what made me fall in love with you after all," Kaya said kissing her husband's cheek as she walked away.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, at the Jungle Kingdom's main ship, Gary was busy whistling endlessly for his pack of wolves to return, yet not a single one responded.

"Damn it all to hell! Where are my boys?!" He shouted as he slowly lost his temper, "They should have come back ages ago!"

"Maybe they finally decccccided to abandon their brain-dead leader, don't you think?" Scarlett asked with a smirk.

"You may not have friends, snake woman, but my dogs are my specially trained best friends! They'd never abandon the person who found them, trained them, and raised them into the strong fighters they are now!" Gary said.

"Raised them, you say?" Carl asked, "They already had someone raising them better than you did and you killed her before those dogs even got the chance to drink her milk."

"And who asked you, Mr. Know-it-all?" Gary asked, "People raised by mothers only end up as weak as an average bug. My dogs would have ended up in the same condition if it weren't for me!"

"Well I can tell you that your boys aren't coming back," Daphne said as she approached the other three looking serious before becoming a sobbing mess. "But that's not the issue! Somebody destroyed my cyborg enhancements! All my hard work ruined!" she cried.

"Don't be ssssuch a crybaby, Daphne," Scarlett said, "You can jussst make new onesss anytime you want."

"Well, I'm glad _you_ think it's that easy, Scarlett! I can't just make more anytime I want, Scarlett," Daphne huffed, "Making enhancements on animals takes work, dedication, mind, soul, and body! It is not something you can just...do."

"That's right. It takes more than just doing something to accomplish your goal!" Gary shouted, "It takes you giving it your all in everything!"

"And it takesss one bite from me to end your pathetic life!" Scarlett threatened.

"Enough with this childish nonsense, all of you!" King Kong demanded as the arguing group stopped talking, "Gary's failure last night is the last one I will hear from you all, is that clear?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" All four of the jungle knights shouted.

"Now, we'll try this again this time with full knowledge of our enemy." King Kong said, "So Daphne, what do your scouts have this time."

"Milord, my scout eagles have identified our potentially troublesome opponents." Daphne said as an eagle landed on her shoulder and brought up a screen showing Belle and her friends, "One is a girl named Belle, a rather immature girl despite her current age. Her powers and abilities remain a mystery. The next one is Kaisetsu. This girl carries a special gem that is said to carry a special elemental power. The third is Ackmor, but all information about this boy seems...unknown. Next is our target, the boy with the bear puppet, who at the moment has lost the ability to fight and the last one is well-known to all as God Usopp, a member of the Straw Hat pirates and is the deadliest of our enemies on this island."

"So what does that exposition dump even tell us?" Gary asked as he picked his nose.

"That your IQ makesssss pigssss sssuperior to your in intellect…" Scarlett said.

"Daphne's intel has told us who is the strongest and weakest of this group," Carl said, "I say the best strategy is the separate them and go for the weakest one first."

"Exactly!" King Kong said, "And I have the perfect plan to do just that!"

"Oh! Let me have the mute boy, my lord!" Scarlett said, "He and I have sssome unfinissshed businesssss!"

"Why certainly, Scarlett," King Kong said, "Just as long as you bring that bear to us alive."

"Assss you wisssh." Scarlett said with a smirk.

"However, I don't have complete assurance that you will succeed." King Kong said, "To that end, I am sending Gary with you."

"With all due ressssspect, my lord…BUT ARE YOU CRAZZZZY?!" Scarlett asked, "Out of all people here, you pair me up with thisssss dead brain?!"

"Whine all you want, snakey, but the lord's orders are law," Gary said, "So you might as well deal with it."

"My words exactly, Gary," King Kong said, "You will cooperate with him, Scarlett, or I will make you regret everything in your life. Understand?!"

"Y-Yesss, my lord…" Scarlett stuttered.

"King Kong, sir, there's something I'd like to know, if you don't mind my asking." Carl said.

"What is it?" King Kong asked.

"I was wondering if your plan involves the village near the mansion and if I could go there today." Carl said.

"It does, but why do you want to go there?" King Kong asked.

"...I'd...rather not speak of it. There's something there that I need to get, that's all." Carl said.

"Alright then, as long as it doesn't slow us down." King Kong said. "We'll start the plan tomorrow if you care about such a backwater village so much."

"Thank you, sir." Carl said. "I promise you my request won't slow your plans down in the slightest."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Back at the mansion, Belle, Kaisetsu, Ackmor, and Kaya were prepared to go out on shopping at the nearby village.

"Okay, Sakuya, I'm trusting you with my patient while I shop for more medicine." Kaya said, "He better get the proper sleep he needs without any disturbance."

"Yes, ma'am! I'll make sure my darling prince gets his handsome sleep!" Sakuya said proudly.

"It's beauty sleep," Kaisetsu corrected.

"Details, details, who needs them?" Sakuya asked.

"Alright, and make sure you don't destroy this mansion while you're at it." Kaya said.

"You can put your trust in me," Sakuya said.

"So that means none at all right?" Kaisetsu commented only to get her ear tugged on by Ackmor.

"I don't need you starting anything. We've caused Ms. Kaya enough problems and I'm not letting you two out of my sight while where supply shopping so let's go," Ackmor said tugging Kaisetsu out.

"Yeah, you two have caused enough trouble for Auntie Kaya." Belle said before she got her ear tugged by Ackmor as well.

"You're one to talk, trouble-maker!" Ackmor shouted.

"Owowowowowow! Not the ear! Anything but the ear!" Belle cried.

"Zip it," Ackmor growled dragging his two female companions away.

"We'll be back soon. Take care." Kaya said as she walked out with them.

"You too," Sakuya said as she waved goodbye.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

The group walked through the village buying medicine for Kaya's clinic and some supplies for Belle's journey. Now all they needed was to buy food.

"Okay, so Sakuya recommended me a list of food we need to get." Ackmor said.

"Alright, so what do we need?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Let's see," Ackmor said as he pulled out a grocery list, "Meat buns, Meat bagel bites, pizza meatballs, meatpops, meatballs, and meatjuice...Meatjuice? They make meatjuice?"

"Ackmor, half of what's on that list doesn't even exist!" Kaisetsu pointed out. "Belle, you wouldn't have anything to do with this list, do you?"

Belle began to sweat as she looked away whistling a small tune. "Nope, have no idea where that list came from" she stuttered out.

Ackmor and Kaisetsu both stared at her in total disbelief. _"She's such a bad liar!"_

"And what gave you the idea that I made the list. For all we know my dad could have made it!" Belle said.

"Yeah, Luffy went all the way here just to write me a rigged grocery list of food he won't be here to eat." Ackmor said, "And strangely enough it also says 30 meatball sandwiches."

"Well...at least she will get a lot of protien out of it," Kaya said.

"Belle, now I'm seriously worried about you now," Ackmor said. "There are other food than just meat, you know."

"I don't have a problem! Whoever says I have meat addiction is a liar!" Belle defended.

Ackmor pinched the bridge of his nose letting out a defeated sigh. "Kaisetsu I'm going to trust you to write me up a better list in the meantime I'm going to keep this idiot here busy so she doesn't buy everything we don't need."

"Oh _now_ I can walk on my own. I told you I don't get lost unless I'm given the wrong directions" Kaisetsu huffed.

"Just stay in the marketplace Kaisetsu and you won't need anyone to direct you anywhere or better yet stay with Ms. Kaya" Ackmor suggested.

"Alright, we'll meet back here at around...3." Kaisetsu said.

"Okay, but don't get lost somehow, okay?" Ackmor asked.

"Whatever you say…" Kaisetsu grumbled as the group split into two. "But it's impossible for me to get lost as long as someone's around."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 **Later…**

Kaisetsu was standing on a cliff looking out at the sea "Damn it...where am I now?!" she yelled feeling her left eye twitching angrily. "One minute, Kaya was in my sights and now I somehow end up here? How is that even possible?" She asked as she scratched her neck, "...Maybe I do get lost easily like my dad."

"Excuse me, ma'am, is there something troubling you?" A voice called.

Kaisetsu turned around and saw Carl walking up to her with a grocery bag. "Oh hey there. Sorry if I was too loud but as you can see I'm in a bit of a bind."

"I see, haven't I seen you at the shopping market in the village?" Carl asked.

"You did? Can't say we met there." Kaisetsu said.

"Oh no, we didn't, but I saw you there with your friends." Carl said, "I'm Carl, by the way. Carl Nozumi."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Carl. I'm Roronoa Kaisetsu." Kaisetsu said, "Do you happen to know a way back to the village? I need to be back by 3 and I have 20 minutes to be there."

"Of course. I was planning on returning home with these groceries, but I can spare a few minutes to help someone out." Carl said as he led Kaisetsu through the forest.

"Thank you," Kaisetsu said before she let a light pink appear on her cheeks as she grabbed the back of his vest. "Sorry um just a precaution incase I get lost again..."

"Hehehe, not many people make me laugh like you're doing," Carl said, "You must not have good navigation skills do you?"

"It's a genetic trait inherited from my father," Kaisetsu mumbled.

"More like a learned habit. A bad sense of direction can't be genetically earned, my dear" Carl teased as he walked deeper into the village.

"If you don't mind my asking, Carl, what groceries did you buy?" Kaisetsu asked.

In response, Carl reached into his bag and showed her a can of cat food, "Cat food."

"You have a pet cat?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Yeah, cats are by far the most adorable creatures on this earth." Carl said, "I would give my life to protecting as many as I can!" He declared before blushing a bit, "Sorry if I sound like a weirdo…"

"Not at all. It's normal to love cats; in fact, my little sister loves them as much as you do." Kaisetsu said, "I'm sure if you two met, you would be the best of friends."

"Then I look forward to meeting her." Carl said as the two arrived at the market, "Here we are and I believe those are your friends over there, am I right?" He asked pointed to a waving Belle.

"Yep, thanks for helping me back! I owe you one!" Kaisetsu shouted.

Carl waved her off as he began to head in the opposite direction. "Sweet girl...it's a shame that in truth we are enemies," he said to himself with a saddened sigh before he walked away from the village.

"Sorry for keeping you all waiting," Kaisetsu said.

"Kaisetsu...Kaya said that you lost track of her. I thought you said that you couldn't get lost as long as someone was with you!" The crossed Ackmor said.

"Give me a break, Ackmor! How many blondies do you think are in this whole village?!" Kaisetsu asked, "It'd be easy to lose Kaya in this!"

"Haha, Kai is getting scolded by Acky~" Belle laughed only to shrink away when the two glared at her making her yelp as she hid behind Kaya.

"Don't think I'm not done scolding you for when you nearly devoured a whole restaurant's food supply, idiot!" Ackmor shouted.

"Wait...you what…?!" Kaisetsu asked.

"Hey….I was starving, okay? You're not going to hurt little old me over something as silly as that, are you?" Belle asked.

"I can think of better reasons to hurt you…" Ackmor said dangerously.

"Come on, everyone, let's not do this here." Kaya said, "Even if Belle swallowed a good portion of my money, we still had enough to buy the groceries, so let's head back, shall we."

"Certainly, the faster we get there faster we can get to Belle's punishment!" Kaisetsu shouted.

"Ahaha, you guys are really funny, you know that?!" Belle asked as her spine tingled from the devilish smiles on Kaisetsu and Ackmor's face, "U-Um...guys?!"

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Carl had just returned to his ship and was greeted by Scarlett.

"Going to feed your little midget again, Carl?" Scarlett asked.

"That's none of your business, Scarlett." Carl said, "Aren't you suppose to be getting ready to kill your prey?"

"Whatever do you mean? I'm already ready!" Scarlett said, "I'm jussssst hoping you and that mechanic nerd will be able to do your part to keep that little band of missssfits occupied."

"I ensure you, Daphne and I will succeed in our part." Carl said as he walked past her, "Now if you'll excuse me…"

"Hehehe, you're sssssuch a sssssofty, Carl," Scarlett said, "I sssspoke down to you and Gary yet you didn't threaten me or even give me a warning ssssstrike. Maybe I can get away with killing your preciousssss pet."

"If you so much as think about it, I'll rip off your head." Carl said seriously.

"Oooh, did I sssstrike a nerve?" Scarlett asked.

"Just be ready for tomorrow. His Majesty does not tolerate those who are not prepared." Carl said.

"Whatever you ssssay, Carl." Scarlett said as she left him alone with a snicker.

Carl sighed as he entered his room. There he saw a white cat that had mechanical front legs running towards him. He smiled at the kitten and petted its head, "Hey there, Sparky. Sorry I'm late, but look what I've got~!" He chimed as he opened the can of cat food and placed it on a bowl for her. He happily watched as his kitten, Sparky, eat her food.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Yoshino had woken up after a full day of rest. His body and wounds still hurt, but he knew he felt better than he did before he was brought back in. He took a look at Momo and still saw that his bear friend was still asleep. "Today should be the day...he'll definitely wake up soon." He whispered through Momo.

"Who will definitely wake up soon?" Sakuya suddenly asked from beside him.

Yoshino jumped back clutching his heart as he glared at the purple hair girl. "Will you stop doing that!" he shouted through Momo.

Sakuya look down and fiddled with her new outfit. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to scare you, Yoshino-kun. I was just coming in to check on you and bring lunch."

"...Um thanks…" Yoshino whispered through Momo.

"Oh my prince, there's no need for you to thank me," Sakuya said.

"So what are the other people doing?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Oh Belle and her friends, well Belle, Kaisetsu, and Ackmor went back to the market with Kaya because they forgot one thing on the grocery list and as for Uncle Usopp, he's still looking into who sent those wolves after you," Sakuya explained.

"I see…" Yoshino whispered through Momo. "Has he found anything out?"

"Not yet," Sakuya replied. "But they went out to the place where you were attacked to find more clues, so…um, you only have me for company for the time being."

"Oh…" Yoshino said through Momo as he went back to being silent.

"So…how do you like my new look?" Sakuya asked as she stood up.

Yoshino looked at her and blushed at the new outfit Sakuya wore.

Sakuya wore a white t-shirt with blue sleeves that ended at her elbows, yellow shorts on top of black leggings, and blue tennis shoes.

"I-It looks, nice on you," Yoshino said through Momo as he tried to hide his blushing face from her.

"Aw, thank you Yoshino-kun," Sakuya said, "It's such a lovely feelings to be complemented by a lovely prince such as you."

"Why do you keep calling me a prince?" Yoshino asked through Momo, "I'm a regular person, in case you don't know."

"Yoshino-kun, to me you're more than just a regular man," Sakuya said proudly, "You are a lovely, handsome boy who has stolen my heart and any man who does that is a true prince!"

"...Rrrriiight." Yoshino said through Momo.

"Well anyways, I've made a special beef sandwich with some ramen soup and some water for your hydration," Sakuya said. "I hope you like it."

"Umm... I'm a vegetarian so I'll just have the ramen" Yoshino said through Momo sitting up against the headboard.

"How stupid of me to not even consider the possibility of you being a vegetarian!" Sakuya said.

Yoshino gave her a weird look before shrugging his shoulders. "It's no big deal. You didn't know so it's okay"

"Well I won't make a mistake like that again, I assure you. By chance, do you have any allergies I should be aware of?" The siren asked.

"I'm allergic to chocolate," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Chocolate, huh? Well, that limits me on the cakes I could make for you…" Sakuya said, "Anything else?" She asked as Yoshino shook his head, "Great."

"Why did you need to know my allergies for? You won't see much of me after I'm healed?" Yoshino mentioned through Momo.

"You wound me, Yoshino-kun," Sakuya said, "Even if my dinner to you is the first and last time I'll serve food to you, I must _always_ rule out the possibility of allergies. I could have easily accidentally kill you with the chocolate cake I was planning to bake for you as a "Get better" dessert."

"I guess that make sense... So are you a cook or something?" Yoshino asked through Momo before sipping on the ramen juice finding that the soup tasted amazing.

"Yes, I am indeed a cook. My father taught me many things when it came to cooking. From creating the finest dish that would make kings and queens bow in gratitude to washing dishes." Sakuya said.

"That's nice...I thought you might have been a singer or musician from how lovely your voice was last night. Thank you again for saving me..." Yoshino said sheepishly after realizing he would be dead if it wasn't for the siren next to him.

Sakuya's cheeks turned red as she looked away for a bit, "My darling Yoshino-kun, I told you that you don't need to thank me and I admit that I also have a bit of a musician inside of me."

"Well, my mother raised me to show gratitude when needed and to complement a lady when she deserves it," Yoshino said through Momo finding that talking to the siren, who he thought was crazy, was relaxing.

"...Well that is good for you. It sounds like you had such a loving...real mother." Sakuya said with a sad smile before she whispered softly, "I envy you…"

Yoshino's smile turned sad too from the pain he felt that could be taken as his own or for Sakuya's. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, n-nothing. I'm just rambling like a silly girl," Sakuya replied, "Oh and I also have this for you, Yoshino-kun." She said as she took out a white bow.

"My…my Fujin Yumi!" Yoshino said through Momo as he took the bow from her hand, "I…I thought I lost this. Where did you find it?"

"I found it washed up on the shore the day before," Sakuya explained, "By chance, are you skilled in archery."

"To be frank, I'm not the best at it where I'm from but I'm not the worst." Yoshino said through Momo, "At best, I could kill a boar or a bear on a hunt for my hometown."

"A vegetarian who kills beasts for meat for his village," Sakuya said, "It's very nice to hear that you're a kind person to do such a thing even though you get no benefit out of it."

"Well, it's the least I could do." Yoshino said through Momo, "All of my friends, family, and little sister were so kind to me despite my lazy attitude." He said through Momo before he thought, _"…How I wish things didn't change…"_

Sakuya saw the look of sadness on Yoshino's face and stood up, "I should go now. You need more rest before you can at least safely move again."

Before Sakuya could leave, Yoshino suddenly grabbed her arm, "W-Wait…" He said through Momo.

Sakuya began to turn red again, but this time steam started to pour out her ears. "Y-Yoshino-kun what are you doing?" she stuttered out.

"I know this might sound selfish...and stupid but…" He said through Momo before he looked away feeling embarrassed, "D-d-do you...k-know...a lullaby?"

"A lullaby?" Sakuya asked.

"You see...sometimes I have trouble sleeping because...of a nightmare I get. I was wondering if you could sing me to sleep." Yoshino said through Momo as he covered his face with the bed covers to hide his embarrassed expression.

Sakuya thought about it before nodding her head. "Yes I know one...it's an old one I know from when I was a baby," she tells him as she pulled a chair next to him. "I don't know the name of the lullaby, but I named it the River's Lullaby," She said bringing out a small harp that she carries.

 **River's Lullaby**

 **Singer: Sakuya**

 _ **Hush now, my baby, be still love, don't cry**_

 _ **Sleep as you're rocked by the stream**_

 _ **Sleep and remember my last lullaby**_

 _ **So I'll be with you when you dream**_

 _ **River, oh river, flow gently for me!**_

 _ **Such precious cargo you bear!**_

 _ **Do you know somewhere she can be free?**_

 _ **River, deliver her there**_

Yoshino listened to the siren gentle voice keeping a hand on her arm even as he drifted off to a peaceful sleep. Sakuya continued to play the gentle music of her harp not noticing Yoshino had drifted off. After her song ended, she looked at the sleeping boy and smiled, "Sweet...dreams Yoshino-kun…" She whispered as she quietly left the room.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Carl and Daphne were currently in the process of leaving their ship to conduct their king's plan.

"Are you ready, Daphne?" Carl asked.

"Yes I sure am," Daphne said before she pouted, "But why did his majesty give the retrieval mission to those two rock-heads instead of me? Now I have to wait longer to get my hands on him~" She whined.

"You'll get what you want as long as we don't sit here on our butts," Carl said.

"My, you sound like you don't care whether we succeed or not, Carl," Daphne said.

Carl shrugged his shoulders. "Win or lose doesn't really bother me. Just as long as my animals don't get hurt I don't care."

"Is that why every time you bring a stray on board you won't let anyone on the crew near them?" Daphne asked trying to reach for the kitten only to get growled at by Carl.

"I'm already sick of this conversation," Carl said as he walked off the boat, "Let's get this job over with."

"Sure thing, sour-puss," Daphne said with a pout as she walked off the boat with him. "Soooo….what are we supposed to do again?"

"You forgot already?" Carl asked, "Listen, there is a total of four teens including our target and God Usopp. One of the teens and our target were last seen at the mansion not far from a nearby town. The others are likely at that town at this moment which gives us an opportunity."

"Okay, let me put the pieces together…" Daphne said as she thought for a few seconds, "I got it! We're the distraction squad, right?"

"Right," Carl said, "We'll distract God Usopp, even if he is much more powerful than we are. That should give Gary and Scarlett enough time to finish their mission."

"And if we see our target first?" Daphne asked.

"Then you'll get your 'cute' bear sooner than you thought you would," Carl said. "Either way, that boy is not getting away this time."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Belle, Kaisetsu, Ackmor, and Kaya were on their way back to the mansion after returning to town to get a medical item Kaya forgot to buy.

"I'm so sorry for that inconvenience, guys," Kaya said, "I really wanted to go to town by myself and get this medicine, but my husband would have broken blood vessels worrying about me."

"It was no trouble at all," Ackmor said, "I was actually hoping to go back to the market again. There were so many things I didn't know about like that mysterious object that floated in the sky with a string behind it."

"Hmhm, that was a balloon, Ackmor," Kaisetsu said.

"A balloon...that's an interesting name for such a device," Ackmor said.

"Acky, you're such a funny weirdo," Belle said giggling a bit.

Kaya giggled. "Ackmor-kun have you thought that you might need a checkup to see if you can remember anything?"

"I'm sorry if my lack of knowledge is giving you a bad impression of me," Ackmor said, "There are a lot of things that are unknown to me."

"Oh no Ackmor-kun I didn't mean to sound rude. I meant that as a doctor. I was asking to see if you wanted to perform an exam and see if it can help jog your memory." Kaya explained.

"An exam?" Ackmor asked, "What kind of exam?"

"It's like a screening test. I'll take an x-ray of your brain and find the area of your brain that's been affected. Once I determine that I'll try a resonance test to see if I recover a lost memory of yours." Kaya explains to him.

"Really? You'd do that for Acky?" Belle asked.

"It's the least I could do to thank you for helping me out with my shopping," Kaya said.

"You're too kind, Mrs. Kaya," Ackmor said.

Kaya smiled at him as she patted his head. "I'm a doctor that's my job to take care of you."

"Hmm…" Kaisetsu didn't pay attention to Ackmor and Kaya's conversation and was instead focused on their surroundings.

"Kaisetsu, is there something wrong?" Ackmor asked.

In response, Kaisetsu placed a hand on the handle of Murasaki, "There's no point in hiding. I know you are watching us waiting to strike."

"Huh?" Ackmor asked.

A few seconds after Kaisetsu made her statement, two figures stepped out of the shadows blocking the group's path. Kaisetsu looked surprised to see the man from earlier.

"Nice to see you again young lady. Did you happen to find yourself lost again?" Carl asked tipping his hat in greeting.

"Carl?" Kaisetsu asked in confusion.

Daphne covered her mouth laughing a bit as she eyed the group. "Aww, I see none of you have any cute animals with you for me to take back to the ship. Oh well looks like I have to deal with playing with you all a bit before I can get my hands on that cute little bear."

"Wh-Who are you people?" Kaya asked.

"We're pirates of the Jungle Force pirates," Daphne said, "I'm Daphne and you can call the one with the white cat, Carl."

"Hold on, you said little bear," Ackmor said, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh was I not clear?" Daphne said, "We're here for the boy you people are oddly so protective of."

"Yoshino?" Belle asked.

"I agree on that," Carl said, "That boy you're protecting is no concern to you. All you need to do is bring him to us and no harm will come to anyone on this island."

Kaya stepped forward at that with a hard expression in her eyes. "I beg to differ. That boy is my patient that you people put in harm's way and I will not allow you to hurt him again."

"And because Mrs. Kaya is willing to protect him we are too," Ackmor said taking a protective fighting stance next to Belle, Kaya, and Kaisetsu.

"That's right, so why don't you guys buzz off to whatever hole you crawled out of," Belle shouted.

Carl breathed out a sigh as his ears began to grow black fur, "Just when I thought we were going to end this without violence."

"Come on, Carl," Daphne said cheerfully as her skin began to grow white feathers, "If you keep thinking like that, you'll turn into a pacifist. Besides, Scarlett and Gary are already at the mansion so there was no point in your offer anyway."

"There's more of you guys?" Kaisetsu asked.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Sakuya was heading to Yoshino's room with a cup of warm green tea while humming her favorite song. It has been a few hours since she put him to sleep with her lullaby so she thought Yoshino would want something to drink after waking up.

"A nice cup of green tea should be a perfect wake-up drink for Yoshino-kun," Sakuya said as she slowly opened the door to Yoshino's resting room. However, when she entered there, her eyes widen as she saw a tall slender woman with long, raven-colored hair tied into a bun wearing a long red dress with long sleeves, which extend well past her hands, with a single slit in each one, and two thin belts crisscrossing around her waist. What made Sakuya's heart beat was the knife in the woman's hand as she was about to stab Yoshino with it.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Yep, and those other guys should be done killing the boy at the mansion. Then I'll be reunited with that adorable bear," Daphne said.

"Speaking of you guys," Kaisetsu said after Carl transformed into a black jaguar hybrid while Daphne transformed into a white dove hybrid, "You two must have eaten Zoan Devil Fruits, am I right?"

"Bingo~!" Daphne shouted, "I ate the Bird Bird Fruit: Model White Dove."

"And I have eaten the Cat Cat Fruit: Model Jaguar," Carl said as he took out a black katana that had a red aura glowing around it, "I call upon your power, Siegfried."

"Your sword has a name of its own," Kaisetsu asked getting intrigued by Carl already.

"Kaisetsu, what's with that look on your face," Ackmor asked.

"What look?" Kaisetsu asked.

"The look that Belle has when she's raring to eat," Ackmor said, "Except you're wearing that face for a different reason."

"Shishi, that's Kaisetsu's swordsman face. Whenever she sees an opponent worthy of fighting her, she doesn't go anywhere except straight towards that opponent," Belle said.

"Belle, Ackmor, stay with Kaya for now. You have no experience in fighting, Ackmor," Kaisetsu said as she took out Murasaki and pointed it at Carl, "Carl, as a well-trained swordswoman, I challenge you to single-combat!"

Carl looked at Kaisetsu for a second and then said, "I had no idea you were an actual swordswoman. I had my suspicions when I saw your katana, but you also have the code of one too." He said as he then smiled, "Very well, I accept your challenge, Kaisetsu."

Daphne's eyes widen in shock, "Carl?! What are you doing?! We can easily double on this girl and win you know!"

"I have accepted her challenge, Daphne, if I were to back down from her request or use you in our duel I'll lose face as a man. Besides, you're after the boy with the bear so go find him. I will handle the girl" Carl said raising Sparky towards Kaisetsu.

Daphne huffed. "Fine. But if you get beat up I don't want to hear it when you get in trouble with the captain," she said taking flight into the sky.

"Oh no, she's heading for the mansion!" Kaya said.

Ackmor grabbed Kaya's hand. "Stay with us, Mrs. Kaya. We won't let her reach the mansion," he said dragging her with him as he chased after the soaring Daphne thus leaving Kaisetsu with her duel against the swordsman jaguar hybrid, Carl.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Back at the mansion, before the woman could land a deadly blow on Yoshino with the knife, Sakuya acted quickly and rushed over to stop the deadly strike with her hand allowing blood to pour from it.

"What'sss thisssss?" The woman asked.

"Who…are you?" Sakuya asked as she winced from the pain of her bleeding hand and glared at the woman who dared to threaten her darling Yoshino.

"I advissse you to leave now, girl, or you'll sssssee sssomething very ugly," Scarlett said as she pulled the knife out of Sakuya's hand.

Sakuya had a smirk on her face as she faced the slender woman. "Sorry lady, but I think I'm already looking at it."

"You don't wassste time digging your own grave," Scarlett said a little irritated by the snarky remark from the siren.

"Well, ya see a nasty old woman walked into my darling Yoshino-kun's room and threatened to hurt him...I don't very much take kindly to that" Sakuya growled.

"Oh how sssssweet to call your boyfriend darling," Scarlet said before she let out a chuckle, "You have poor choiccce in men, girl. That kid on that bed issss as worthlesssss as a bag of dead ratsssss."

Sakuya eyes harden in anger as she charged at the woman with a flying leg kick hitting the woman's arm as she guarded at the last second. "How dare you! Don't you ever say such vile things about my prince Yoshino-kun!"

Scarlett glared into slit, beady, black eyes as her tongue turned thin wispy as black scales appeared around her eyes and cheeks as she jumped out of the open window she entered the room through.

"Sakuya," A voice asked.

Before she could jump after her, Sakuya heard Yoshino's voice and turned to her prince, "Yoshino-kun, are you okay? She didn't hurt you, did she?"

"Huh?" Yoshino asked through Momo as his gaze turned towards Sakuya's bleeding left hand, "Y-Your hand! Wha-!"

"Don't worry, Yoshino-kun, I just need to take care of some trash that wants to interrupt your "handsome" sleep," Sakuya said as she walked over to the opened window, "I'll be right back~!"

"W-Wait!" Yoshino shouted through Momo, but Sakuya had already left. The boy let out a silent sigh. He wanted to leave whatever's going on with her, but he never likes having other people do things for him so he got up, took his Fujin Yumi, and rushed through the mansion to the exit outside.

"You sssssshouldn't have done that girly" hissed the snake woman after she watched Sakuya jump down to meet her.

"I won't ask this again. Who are you?!" Sakuya demanded aggressively.

"You may call me Sssscarlett the Ssssly Sssssnake." Scarlett said. "I can't believe you sssstole my only chanccccce to kill my prey. That isssss a misssstake I will perssssonally make you regret."

"You monster…you want to kill Yoshino-kun?!" Sakuya asked.

"Wassssn't it obvioussss enough? Of coursssse I want him dead." Scarlett said.

"But what has he ever done to deserve what you people are doing to him. No doubt you're the one who sent those wolves after him!" Sakuya said.

"Technically, my dumbasssss partner ssssent thosssse wolvessss, not me! It'ssss a good thing I managed to lossssse him in the foresssst; otherwisssse, he might have sssstolen my kill. After all, when a ssssnake poisonssss itssss prey, that meanssss the poisssson issss the mark that tellssss otherssss that the prey issss that sssssnake's prizzzze alone," Scarlett explained as she showed her fangs that were dripping with a green-yellowish liquid.

Sakuya eyes harden again. "You're the one who poisoned Yoshino-kun!"

"Oh sssscore one for the girly! Care to add a couple more pointsss to your ssscore?" Scarlett taunted before asking, "Why do you think I'm here now?"

"You just told me you want to kill him!" Sakuya said.

"You are half-correct." Scarlett said, "I'm here mossssstly for that bear on hissss right arm."

"The puppet? Y-You're playing games with me, aren't you? Why would a puppet be that important to you?!" Sakuya asked.

"Honesssstly, I don't care about either of thossssse two." Scarlett said, "I really jussst want to kill my prey at itsss weakesssst!"

"Well, I'm not letting you. If I ever let you harm Yoshino-kun, it'll have to be when I'm dead and gone!" Sakuya declared as she took up her fighting stance.

"If you have a death wisssh, girly, I'd be more than happy to fulfill it for you!" Scarlett shouted as her neck suddenly extended towards her in order to bite her with her fangs.

Sakuya, being fast on her feet, dodged the woman's first strike being mindful of how nimble she can be in her snake form. "I take it you're a Devil Fruit User unless you were born a hideous snake monster."

"That'sss right. I ate the Ssssnake Ssssnake Fruit: Model Mamba. I'm assss poissssonousss assss they come," she hissed.

"No wonder Yoshino-kun had the most deadly venom inside him…" Sakuya said. "I won't forgive you for hurting him!

"That'sssss not all you sssshould be worried about. Like a sssnake," She said before she suddenly extended her hand and wrapped it around Sakuya, "I can be very unpredictable!" She shouted before she threw Sakuya across the field.

Sakuya used her legs and kicked the ground beneath her to stop herself before she crashed into a tree leaving behind a deep trail in the ground. "Nice try, snakey," She said as she looked back at the snake woman, "But I'm very quick on my feet."

"I would quit while you're behind, girl! Even at thisss dissstance I'll be able to do that all over again!" Scarlett said.

"Big deal, you can extend you arms and legs like a snake does with its neck, but the snake, you see, can easily be crushed with a strong kick!" She said as her feet suddenly got coated in water.

"What in the?" Scarlet said,

"If there's one thing I was taught besides singing, cooking, and dancing…" She said before she jumped up towards Scarlett and kicked her straight in the face, "It's how to kick people's faces in!" She shouted as she sent the snake woman flying across the field faster than she was previously was.

Scarlett crashed onto the ground and held her bleeding nose, "Why you…"

Sakuya didn't let her recover knowing snakes are fast to strike she produce another kick to her sternum. "When preparing a snake for a meal you need to know where to aim for their poison pouches! For instance the ones located in their upper jaws!" she said delivering a high knee to the snake woman's face. "Next you cut the areas except for the rattle and the head or, in this case, break them," She said as she hit the snake woman's back with multiple water kicks, "Then you have to cook the sliced parts, but there's nothing I can cook you with here so we'll get onto my favorite part: The seasoning or, as I'd like to call, payback for hurting Yoshino-kun!" She shouted as she sent one last water kick to Scarlett straight in the face sending her flying towards a tree.

"Gah!" Scarlett screamed as she coughed out blood reverting back to her human form.

" _Now_ who's the girly one?" Sakuya taunted.

Scarlet glared at Sakuya hatefully. "Don't think you've beaten me! I'll kill you and that worthlessss boy yet!" she hissed.

"Sure, with that broken back of yours," Sakuya said, "Go see a doctor about that and your ugly face, and I better not see you anywhere near my Yoshino-kun again...or I will kill you."

"...Hehehehe…" Scarlett giggled a little before she began laughing hysterically, "Bwahahahaha, geez, you're ssssssuch a tool, little girl."

Sakuya raised an eyebrow at the snake woman's sudden remark, "Tool? What on earth are you blabbering about?"

"Do you think that boy caresss about you? Phft that boy only caresss about one thing and that'sss revenge" Scarlett laughed.

"Revenge?! You really have gone mad if you're going and reaching that far down your ass for an excuse to justify what you did!" Sakuya said.

"You're sssso blind. That boy came onto our ssship looking cluesss on where to find a certain pirate crew. He played nicccce with our ssscientissst for awhile so he could learn about our sssurveillance animalsss to locate this crew" Scarlett explained to her. "We learned he wantsss to kill the captain of that crew for killing hissss mother."

Sakuya's eyes widen before lashing out and kicking Scarlett into the tree holding her foot to the woman's throat. "You're lying! I may have just meet Yoshino-kun, but I can tell that he has a good heart! I saw it in him when we were talking earlier! You're just spouting out lies cuz you want me to drop my guard so you can kill him! Well, it won't work on me or anyone else with half a brain!"

"If you don't believe me...y-you can assssk him yoursssself…" Scarlett said gasping for air.

"No wonder you're a snake." Sakuya said, "It has to be in your nature to spread lies like all the other snakes like you. I don't need to ask Yoshino-kun because I know for a fact that he would never plot revenge."

"No, Sakuya, she's telling you the truth." A familiar voice said.

Sakuya's eyes widen in shock as she turned around and saw Yoshino, "Yoshino-kun? What are you doing out here?"

"...I didn't want to tell anyone, but I guess the truth is out…." Yoshino said through Momo.

"Sssee I told you, girly he'sss no go-Ak" Scarlett said before she was cut off by Sakuya adding pressure on her throat.

"Shut the hell up!" Sakuya shouted as she turned to Yoshino, "Yoshino-kun, don't worry. I've taken good care of the trash so you can go back to your peaceful sleep."

"…" Yoshino had the look of guilt written on his face as his gaze went down onto the ground.

"Yoshino-kun?" Sakuya asked.

Scarlett smirked as she felt Sakuya slack on the pressure to her neck. Seeing her chance she bit the girl's leg letting her poison seep into the wound.

"Ah!" Sakuya screamed as she stumbled back.

Yoshino's eyes widen. "Sakuya!" he yelled through Momo as he grabbed hold of the girl before she hit the ground.

"What a foolish girl! To be beaten ssssso easssssily because of the very thing ssssshe loved!" Scarlett said before letting out a cackling laugh, "I bet ssssshe won't even love again after the countlessssss timesssss that will happen in the future!"

"…I'm sick of hearing your devilish voice…" Yoshino said through Momo. Suddenly, the Fujin Yumi began to create a blue aura that formed a line across the bow. Its wielder glared at Scarlett with the eyes of a hunter.

" _How ironic…"_ Scarlett thought as Yoshino pulled onto the bow's line creating a blue aura-made arrow. Her body was unable to move due to her bones being broken. _"I…the hunter…have become the prey…"_

"You die! NOW!" Yoshino shouted as he shot his arrow and struck Scarlett straight in the chest. The arrow went straight through the tree causing it to fall.

Scarlett's blood spilt out of her mouth before the snake woman drew her last breath and died.

Yoshino turned back to the shaking Sakuya who was trembling from the bite. Ripping off his sleeve Yoshino began to tie a tight knot around her leg to cut off the blood flow and to hopefully slow down the poison. When finished he lifted her into his arms and began to carry her back to the mansion.

"Sakuya...I'm so sorry for being such an idiot. I wanted to help you, but I ended up distracting you and now you've been poisoned," Yoshino apologized through Momo. "I really am a bringer of bad luck and despair…just like she said…" When Yoshino saw Sakuya's skin grow colder, he instantly knew something was wrong, _"What's happening?"_ He thought, _"It took at least a day for me to get this cold when I was bitten...could it be...she got all the venom inside her? Sakuya...please hold on!_ " He thought as he rushed her back into the medical room.

Yoshino frantically ran around the clinic in search of an antidote, but he had no idea what anything of the medicine does to find the specific one he needed, _"Damn, damn, damn! Why did all the doctors have to be gone today?!"_ He thought. _"...At this rate...Sakuya will…"_

"Y-Yo...shi...no-kun…" Sakuya whispered.

At the sound of Sakuya's voice, Yoshino quickly rushed over to the now blue-skinned girl, "What is it, Sakuya? Is there a way to get rid of the poison?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"...W-water…." Sakuya whispered.

"Water?" Yoshino asked.

"I need...water…" Sakuya whispered.

"Okay! I'll be right back!" Yoshino said urgently as he rushed out of the room and went to the kitchen to grab a container of water bottles. He went back to Sakuya and gave her the water bottles she needed.

After a few seconds of gulping down ten containers, Sakuya limped over to the sink and caused water to fall from the tips of her fingers until the green-yellow ooze of Scarlett's poison dripped out with it.

Sakuya's body returned to its normal color, but she felt extremely weak from fatigue, "...I...hate...snakes…" She whispered as her body lost its balance.

"Whoa!" Yoshino shouted through Momo as he caught the falling siren, "I...prefer if you fell on the bed instead of the floor."

Sakuya blushed bright red and let out a tired giggle. "Oh Yoshino-kun I didn't know you could be so forward" she teased.

"What are you talking about?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Hehehe...oh nothing." Sakuya said giggling at Yoshino's obliviousness.

"Your hand," Yoshino said through Momo as he pointed out Sakuya's bleeding left hand, "Let's get that bandaged up." He said through Momo as he grabbed some bandages and wrapped the siren's wound.

"Thank you, Yoshino-kun," Sakuya said, "Using my hand as a shield was the only thing I could think of to save you from a knife."

"You did that for me?" Yoshino asked through Momo as Sakuya nodded, "…Thank you. I owe you one."

"You don't owe me anything," Sakuya said, "As long as you're safe."

"What was that you did before?" Yoshino asked through Momo, "The water coming out of your fingers."

"That was me using all the water in my body to get the poison out," Sakuya explained. "Though, the poison is not fully gone. I merely slowed it down and by doing that alone, I ran the risk of dehydrating myself, which is the last thing a siren should do."

"Why is that?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Sirens require a lot of water in their bodies," Sakuya explained, "More so than humans do and the time on which we survive without water is drastically short. Humans can survive three days without water, but I can only survive one day."

"No way…" Yoshino said through Momo. "Maybe we should wait for Kaya to cure you then. I don't want you to give up too much of your water."

"I appreciate the concern, but I'll be okay, Yoshino-kun," Sakuya said.

"Are you sure?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Yes…" Sakuya said before her gaze turned to the floor, "...But to tell you the truth, my life isn't what I was worried about…" Sakuya said as her hair covered her expression.

"Hm? What could you have cared about other than you own li-"

 ***SLAP***

Yoshino was cut off when Sakuya suddenly slapped him as hard as she could. "D-did you...hit me?" Yoshino asked through Momo in surprise.

"Yoshino-kun, there are three types of men whose asses I'm willing to kick. Ugly men, sexist men, and idiotic, reckless men. So try and guess why I hit you just now…" Sakuya said seriously.

"Listen, I know I never told you about my iss-"

"Your issues aren't the reason why I hit you! Why did you leave your room?! Why did you come outside towards your death?!"

Yoshino's eyes widen. "You mean you're mad at me because I went to help you? But you were fighting my battle for me!"

Sakuya grabbed the boy by the collar and stared straight into his light brown eyes, "Of course I was fighting, because it wasn't your battle to fight alone anymore especially when you're still recovering! The minute that snake bitch came in here to kill you it became my fight! I don't let my friends fight alone when they need me."

"...Damn it..." Yoshino muttered through Momo and he looked away from her eyes, "I'm just some dude you met by coincidence. We had only one chat and you'd risk your life for me after that?!"

"That doesn't matter to me at all. You stole my heart when I laid my eyes on you Yoshino-kun. By doing that you have to take responsibility and know now that we're friends and I'm sticking by you...even if you end up hating me in the end." Sakuya declared as she let go of the boy.

"You think I'd hate you? I could never…" Yoshino said through Momo as he looked back at her, "You and the others have protected me and saved my life. I'm not the kind of person who would hate people who do something that selfless for me; especially you, Sakuya. You saved my life more times than I could count. That's why after I saw your bleeding hand, I knew something was wrong and that you were in trouble. I…I wanted to repay you…" He said through Momo as he let out a blush, "And I'm sorry…about the things Scarlett said to confuse you…"

Sakuya shook her head and said, "You don't need to apologize. It was very cruel of her to say such things. Yoshino-kun's past is something I should hear from him and him alone. I will not push you to tell me anything until you wish to share it with me" she told him before sitting up. "For now we have to tell Uncle Usopp and the others about the ones who are after you."

"I'll let them know. You, on the other hand, are recovering so just rest in bed until you're better," Yoshino said to her through Momo as he helped her onto the bed.

"That goes for you too Yoshino-kun. You probably aggravated your wounds again" Sakuya said.

"Don't worry about my condition," Yoshino said through Momo. But as he said that, he felt the same pain on his body and stumbled a little, "Okay...you can worry a little."

Sakuya gave him a stern look. "Yoshino-kun don't push yourself. Scarlett said that she left a friend of hers behind. Just inform Uncle Usopp and the others about what's happening and then come straight back here to rest."

"I will…and thank you again…for helping me," Yoshino said through Momo as he left Sakuya to rest.

Sakuya smiled, _"I can tell…Yoshino-kun, you're still hurting inside. Whatever terrible past you've endured…it must make my life a luxury in comparison."_ She thought as she then sighed wanting to do more, but seeing as her body is dehydrated and she can barely move knew she was a hindrance. _"Hopefully Uncle Usopp, Belle, and the others can handle the rest of them..."_

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Yoshino ran through the forest hoping to find a way towards the village where Kaisetsu and the others were at. Unfortunately, after a few minutes of running, he found himself in a situation where he had no idea where he was going.

" _This forest,"_ Yoshino thought, _"I wasted no time getting lost in here…where is that village at?"_ The mute boy then noticed that the area he was at in the forest looked similar, _"Now I'm going in circles...I thought that if I had gone through the forest it would be harder for those people to find me. Now...what to do..."_

"TIMBUUUR!" A loud voice suddenly shouted which made Yoshino jump up from his train of thought.

"Huh?" He thought as he turned around and saw a tree crashing down on him. Yoshino managed to jump out of the way of the falling tree.

"Hahaha! You dodged that well for a weakened fella!" A loud voice shouted.

"Wh-Who's there?!" Yoshino asked as he took out Fujin Yumi.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten about old Gary, puppet boy!" The voice said as Gary stepped out of the shadows ready for a fight.

"Not you again…" Yoshino said through Momo.

"You and I have some unfinished business!" Gary said as he let out a cackling laugh.

* * *

 **Jurabi: Alright, there are a whole lot of references of ideas I made in this chapter. The first thing is Yoshino's bow, Fujin Yumi, which is the weapon that belongs to Takumi from Fire Emblem Fates. Originally, I wasn't going to have Yoshino have that bow, but due to some things that have been happening to me lately, I decided to give him the weapon carried by a Fire Emblem character I relate to the most. If you don't like it you can leave a complaint followed by #BlameTakumi.**

 **Lazyfox: Second reference made that we pitched in was the name for the new devil fruit type that was inspired by Noragami. If you have not seen or read Noragami I highly recommend it because it is a very good anime and manga.**

 **Jurabi: Now for Sakuya's new design, I made it look like the main female character, Rosa, from Pokémon Black and White 2 because it's less sexualized that way because she originally wore a pink dress.**

 **Lazyfox: I also like to mention I enjoyed the hell out of Sakuya beating the crap out of Scarlett because screw snakes their evil.**

 **Jurabi: Yeah, Lazy has a really obvious hatred for snakes. Now I know some of you are disappointed that the fight was short. Here's the thing: This arc is focusing on establishing the character's personality and fighting styles rather than the fights themselves.**

 **Lazyfox: Yea the main fighting won't happen until we hit a certain someone's back-story like with Luffy vs. Arlong during the Arlong arc. Here just grazing everyone's strength a bit while developing their characters.**

 **Jurabi: But don't worry, if you want battles the next arc will give that to you along with some...what do you call it...feelz breaking?**

 **Lazyfox: All the feelz break man all the feelz break...Just get you're sad anime music playlist ready people that's all I have to say on that.**

 **Jurabi: Last thing, who else is sooo hyped for One Piece: Gold?! I sure fucking am! Two of the best characters going head-to-head! I know somewhere Lucci and Sabo fangirls are fainting in dominos fashion!**

 **Lazyfox: YOU DAMN RIGHT WE ARE! *faints like Chopper when he saw Franky after Time skip* I need this movie in my life now~ Sabo-kun is wrecking some face in people and the graphics! Man you all just don't know how excited I am right now!**

 **Jurabi: Anyways, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter because it took fucking forever to make. If you want to share your thoughts, write up a great review, hit that favorite and follow button and I'll see you in the next chapter!**

 **Lazyfox: Have fun out there everyone as for me I'm heading back out to continue my Pokémon adventure so I'll see you all next time as well ^w^ #GotToCatchThemAll!**

 _ **Important Notice by Jurabi: My prayers go out to the victims of the horrible terrorist attack on Nice, France. Both familes of victims and the victims themselves did not deserve what happened to them. Please join me for a moment of silence in honor of their passing.**_

…

…

…

…

…

 _ **Thank you.**_


	5. The Android

**Jurabi: Heeeeeellooooo~! This is Espada 4 Jurabi back with some more-**

 **Hurricane Mathew Hits Statesboro**

 **(….Three Days Later…)**

 **Jurabi: Heeeeeellooooo~! This is Espada 4 Jurabi back with some more One Piece the Oathkeeper Pirates! Yes! It has been a long fucking time since I wrote fanfics at all on this site. I know, most of you are shocked to actually find quality fanfics updated, but the thing is that college has gotten me wrapped around it's finger and well…it's a lot harder than I expected but I'm doing good in it so far. So don't worry, I've got this guys!**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you all for your patience. Here we go!**

* * *

 **Bold Font: Demon/Monster/Animal speaking**

 _Italic Font: Thought/Flashback/Emphasis_

* * *

 **Previously on One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates…**

 _ **"This is a clinic for sick patients! Not an open field for you two to fight in!" Kaya scolded.**_

 _ **"She started it!" Sakuya shouted.**_

 _ **"You want me to end it then, you big whiny baby?!" Kaisetsu asked.**_

 _ **Kaya bonked them both on the head and then threw them out of the sick bay which caused Belle and Usopp to jump out of the way, "OUT!"**_

 _ **The collision with the wall outside caused the two girls to get knocked out on top of each other.**_

 _ **"Hehe, I'm glad that wasn't me that time…" Belle whispered.**_

 _ **"I second that statement," Usopp mumbled in fear of his wife's wrath.**_

 **And now…back to Oda-senpai's greatness…**

* * *

 **The Android**

Yoshino's body slouched slightly as he breathed heavily in exhaustion from his fight against Gary, whose body had changed from his normal form.

"You sure have bad luck with dogs, kiddo!" Gary said.

Gary's skin had gray fur and his eyes changed from flashing blue to snow white. His hands became the paws of a wolf along with sharp claws and a gray tail is visible behind his back.

Yoshino grunted and glared at the wolf-man hybrid while gripping his Fujin Yumi, "No, I just can't get rid of you and your dumb dogs!" He shouted through Momo, "It's a good thing for me that they're not here anymore."

"Alright, you, tell me where my pals are!" Gary demanded viciously. "I might even lighten the pain my Dog Dog Fruit: Model Gray Wolf will inflict on you!"

"They're safe away from your crazy tinkerer's hands!" Yoshino said through Momo as he drew his Fujin Yumi causing an arrow made of blue energy, "I can't say the same for you though!"

"Psh, I already told you…" Gary said as the bow Yoshino shot at him had no effect, "You're tiny needles aren't going to do a single thing to this body."

"I can send stronger arrows at that big airhead of yours if you want me to!" Yoshino said through Momo.

"By all means try if you are able to," Gary said as he got on all fours like a wolf, "but don't think I'm willing to give you even a single second to." He said before he pounced towards the archer with quick feet.

Before the fast claw strike hit him, Yoshino quickly jumped out of the way and shot another arrow at the beast, but Gary smacked the arrow away like it was nothing.

Gary then jumped high up into the air, "GERANAMOOOO!" He screamed as he landed his fists into the ground in front of Yoshino causing the earth to shift upwards.

"Gah!" Yoshino screamed through Momo as he was sent upwards into the air by Gary's attack. In retaliation, the archer shot another arrow at the wolf man; however, Gary caught the arrow with his bare paws.

"Here's your arrow back!" He shouted as he threw the arrow right back at his opponent, who managed to dodge at the last second.

As Yoshino landed onto the ground, his knees gave out causing him to fall flat on his face, "Ngh!"

"Don't think I'm finished with you yet!" Gary shouted as he rushed up towards the injured boy, grabbed him by the torso and threw him into a tree.

On impact with the tree, blood spilled out of Yoshino's mouth as he crashed on the ground with a thud.

Gary smiled with glee when he saw his opponent struggling to stand up after a severe spine injury. "What? Done already?" He taunted as he walked up to Yoshino's barely moving body and picked him up again with both of his hands. "I was hoping on feeding you to my boys while you were alive, but meat is meat for them dead or alive." He said as he began to squeeze tightly on Yoshino's rib cage and lungs, "It's been fun, kiddo!"

"… **Upupupu…"** A childish laugh was heard.

"You think laughing is gonna change any-" Suddenly before Gary could finish, a lightning-covered arrow was shot through him and shocked him. "GAAAAAAH!" He screamed as he let go of Yoshino.

 **"Yoshino, are you alright?"** The voice asked.

Yoshino looked down at Momo and saw the puppet moving on its own again with its red left eye glowing. "Momo?"

 **"It's a good thing I woke up from hearing all this commotion,"** Momo said, **"So where are we now?"**

"I'll explain later," Yoshino said through Momo as he looked at Gary's unmoving body, "You didn't overdo it with your lightning, did you Momo?"

 **"Not really,"** Momo said, **"That lightning could fry anyone inside-out. What's going on here?"**

"That I'll explain later too," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Y-You damn…Ngh!" Gary grunted. He could barely stand due to his whole body becoming numb after the lightning strike.

"You must have one strong body. I've never had anyone survive a lightning arrow attack like that," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Getting compliments from my kill…" Gary said as he gritted his teeth and clenched his wolf fists. He then looked over at Yoshino with the eyes of a killer and rushed towards the archer, "I won't have you mock me!"

"Get your lightning ready quick Momo," Yoshino thought as he drew on his Fujin Yumi.

 **"Momo doesn't think we'll make it in time!"** Momo shouted.

As Yoshino drew his arrow, Gary was on top of him ready to kill him; however, the wolf man was stopped in his tracks. The mute boy kept his aim on the man as he looked down to see green vines wrapped all over Gary's arms and legs holding him in place.

"Grrrah! What the hell is this?! Let go of me!" Gary shouted as used every ounce of strength he had to break free of the vines.

"Struggle all you want, wolf boy, but the more you resist the tighter those vines will get." A familiar voice said.

Yoshino turned around to see Usopp walking up to them with his slingshot out, "Mr. Usopp?"

"Usopp? You mean God Usopp?!" Gary shouted.

"You're right. I'm the mighty God Usopp," Usopp declared with a smirk, "You won't be going anywhere for a while, but I'm willing to let you go if you answer a few of my questions."

"And don't forget, Belle~!" Belle shouted as she jumped up from above and knocked out Gary by planting her knee on his face. She then back-flipped and landed in front of Yoshino and a shocked Usopp "Haha! Take that, villain~!"

Furious, Usopp bonked the girl hard on her head, "YOU IDIOT! I was about to interrogate him!"

"Ow-ow-ow! You didn't have to hit me so hard~!" Belle whined as she rubbed the bump on her head.

"I can hit your harder if you want!" Usopp shouted.

"Look on the bright side, long nose," Belle said as she looked at Yoshino, "At least we saved mute boy here. Yoshi, was it?"

"It's Yoshino," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Right then! Yoshi it is," Belle said.

Yoshino raised an eyebrow and stared at the orange-haired girl, "Yoshi?" He said through Momo.

"It's your nickname. I give it to everyone I meet," Belle said.

"But isn't it a bit too casual for someone you just met?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Oh my goodness! I just noticed your little puppet!" Belle said.

A tick mark appeared on Momo's head as he growled at her in his mind.

" _Stay quiet, Momo! We don't want your disguise getting compromised!"_ Yoshino thought.

" _ **Who's she calling a puppet?! I oughta claw her eyes out for that!"**_ Momo thought angrily.

"Yes, I'm a mute unfortunately but I was taught how to be a good ventriloquist when I was a kid," Yoshino said to Belle through Momo.

"Oh that is soooo coool~!" Belle exclaimed as stars of awe painted her black eyes. "Oh that's right! We haven't officially exchanged names have we?" She asked as she held out her hand, "My name is Monkey D. Belle, the future Pirate Queen."

"…Future Pirate Queen?" Yoshino asked through Momo, "…W-Wait…you're…?'

"Belle! Don't loudly declare who you are like that!" Usopp warned the girl.

"Well, it's a bad habit of mine…" Belle said as she scratched her head.

"My name is Yoshino…Yoshino Hoshida," Yoshino said through Momo, "My puppet is named Momo."

" _ **I'M NOT A PUPPET!"**_ Momo shouted in his mind.

" _You will be if you don't shut it!"_ Yoshino thought.

"Nice to meet ya' Yoshino," Belle said with a smile.

"Going back a bit, did you say that you are a pirate?" Yoshino said through Momo.

"Right you are, Yoshi," Belle said, "But enough of me, how are you feeling? Kaya said that it will take a while for your wounds to heal."

Despite having a seething hatred for pirates, Yoshino didn't want to be a horrible person towards the people who saved his life…at least until he repays his dept to them, "…My wounds were healed enough so I could fight and move around for a few minutes, but I'm afraid my spine is broken so that's out of the window. I'm thankful for you both for saving me. I don't think I would have lasted long against Gary."

"Wait a minute, Belle, aren't you supposed to be with Kaya and the others," Usopp asked.

"Oh, that's right! We've gotta hurry guys," Belle shouted, "More of these guys are heading to the mansion! I came this way to try to get there faster ahead of Acky and Auntie Kaya, but I ended up getting lost."

"Yeah...there are two more like Gary," Yoshino said through Momo, "The fourth one is dead right now."

"Really?" Belle asked.

"Yeah...it was a snake woman who tried to attack the mansion, but I put her in her place," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Gary, so that's this man's name," Usopp said as he inspected Gary's unconscious body. "I can tell he's not from around here."

"He isn't," Yoshino said through Momo. "Gary is a pirate from the crew called the Jungle Force pirates."

"The Jungle Force pirates?" Belle asked.

"I've heard about them," Usopp said, "They're a small group of pirates who have been spotted in the South Blue stealing treasure from villages. It wouldn't surprise me if the reason they are on my island is to steal Kaya's money."

"No," Yoshino said through Momo, "They could be interested in the money, but that's not entirely why they are here. They're after me."

"You?" Belle asked.

"I thought something odd was going on ever since those wolves attack you, but after seeing wolf boy here, I'm fairly certain," Usopp said, "Tell us Yoshino, why are they after you?"

Yoshino felt his heart beat after hearing the question. He wanted to tell them the truth, but how will he do it without exposing Momo? He sighed, "Well…I was trying to stop the Jungle Force pirates from reaching this island after hearing their plans to attack. That didn't go too well and I ended up injured and poisoned," He said the lie through Momo.

"I see. W, ll I thank you for your effort to protect my home," Usopp said with a smile.

"So you're here to protect Kaya's home…" Belle said, "Any person who would risk their life for others is okay in my book."

"Are you sure about that, Belle?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Of course I'm sure," Belle said, "Protecting people has always been what I wanted to do…but…it didn't turn out as well as I wanted."

"What do you mean?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Ugh, I gotta stop rambling sometimes…" Belle muttered as she smiled at Yoshino, "It's nothing, Yoshi. Let's head back to the mansion and tell the others the situation."

"What about him?" Yoshino asked through Momo as he pointed at the trapped and unconscious Gary.

"Don't worry about him," Usopp said, "Nothing can get out of those special vines. I'll check back on him later and interrogate him whenever he wakes up."

"Are you sure about that?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Have more faith in, Long-nose, Yoshi," Belle said, "He may be a famous liar but he never lies about his plants."

"I'm not concerned about his lying…I'm concerned that leaving Gary isn't a smart choice. We should bring him to the authorities of this island as soon as possible if you ask me," Yoshino said through Momo.

"You bring up a good point," Usopp said, "The problem is that he looks really heavy for the three of us to carry. I'll let Kaya's guard know once we get back to the mansion." He said as he took out a transponder snail to call Kaya's guards.

"Speaking of Kaya, boy she's not to show mercy on you when she hears that you've left your bed again," Belle said.

"Well…I have a good excuse this time." Yoshino said through Momo with a sweat drop.

"Those don't work on that bear," Belle said, "Trust me; excuses are the _last_ thing you want to give her."

"Really?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Hehe, but look on the bright side. You're in for a treat when Kaya comes back from her shopping trip," Belle giggled.

"Don't say that like it's a good thing!" Yoshino shouted through Momo as he rubbed his temples, "Not only Kaya but Sakuya too…why are females the most…aggressive?" He muttered in his head.

" _ **Upupu, what have you gotten yourself into, Yoshino?"**_ Momo asked in his mind.

" _It's a long story,"_ Yoshino replied in his mind.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Kaisetsu and Carl rushed at each other with their blades drawn to engage in the one-on-one swords duel. After a few seconds of staring into each other's eyes as they held their swords against each other, both fighters jumped back to create distance between each other.

Carl decided to quickly close the distance with a forward slash aimed towards Kaisetsu. Due to his Cat Cat Fruit: Model Jaguar, Carl had the inhumane speed of a jaguar. Not only that, but because of his cat, Sparky, who ate the new Shinki-type devil fruit, the extent of Carl's abilities are unknown to Kaisetsu.

The black-haired swordswoman's eyes widen in shock from witnessing the speed of her opponent for a split second before she raised Murasaki to block the incoming katana attack, "What speed…"

"Impressed, are you?" Carl asked as he pressed forward on his katana, "Speed isn't the only thing I've received from my devil fruit. I also have immense strength and hearing as well."

Kaisetsu stepped back and pulled Murasaki down along with Carl's katana and head butted him on the head.

"Ngh!" Carl growled as he pulled his katana up and stumbled back a little rubbing his forehead.

"Ow…I'm not doing that again…" Kaisetsu muttered also rubbing her head.

"Enough beating around the bush, Roronoa," Carl said as he pointed his blade at his opponent, "You know as well as I do that simple swordplay isn't the only thing your father has taught you."

"You're right about that." Kaisetsu said, "No offense to you but I don't go all out unless my opponents are really worthy of taking more than one lethal blow from me."

"By all means, show me your true strength," Carl said, "I heard that pirates called you the Ice Demon. Something tells me that I'm going to find out why if you went all out."

"Are you certain that's what you want?" Kaisetsu asked, "I'm warning you: Even now I can't hit you with literally everything I have because I know for a fact you're not the boss of this ragtag group of yours."

"Really? What gave you that impression, if I may ask?" Carl asked curiously.

"Your companion earlier. Daphne, was it? She had little regard to your own life as you to hers," Kaisetsu said, "Neither of you are the leader of this group so I won't bother putting my all into your battles."

"You're that confident in your abilities, huh? I'm shocked, Kaisetsu," Carl said, "You're far more boastful than you let on."

"I have my moments," Kaisetsu said as she took out her blue Bankerite gem, "One question before I start, if you don't mind."

"As long as you answer a question of my own," Carl said.

"Carl, why did you pick up the katana? For what purpose do you have to learn the ways of the katana?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Hehehehe…" Carl couldn't help but chuckle.

"You find that question funny?" Kaisetsu asked.

"My apologies, but I just find the sheer coincidence funny actually. I was just about to ask you the same thing," Carl said as he looked up at the clear, blue sky, "The reason I picked up a katana…you'd assume it was for a noble cause and that is somewhat true, but it's a more…personal cause for me. I had a friend who I always looked up to and wanted to be more like. He was sort of like the brother I never I had. A few years ago, something terrible happened to my village. A monster…of unimaginable power destroyed and killed dozens of innocent people. It all happened in an instant…After the monster's attack, the people in my village blamed my friend because he invited a few people there. I don't know much of the details, but I think that's why. He got sick of all the hate he was getting from the people who used to call him friend and just ran off without a goodbye…well, not that he could say goodbye anyway."

Many of Carl's words sank into Kaisetsu's mind such as so-called monster that attacked his village, but more importantly his apparent "friend" from there.

"I felt so sad after I heard that he ran away," Carl said as he looked back at Kaisetsu, "He never deserved what happened to him-Loosing his voice, his hand, his sister, his mother, and most importantly his right to be my friend, according to all the villagers! The reason I took on the katana was so that I can find my friend and bring him back home. Everything has been rebuilt and I'll be damned if those people reject Yoshino after all this time!"

"…Yoshino…?" Kaisetsu asked pretending that it was the first time she's heard of the name. She doesn't yet trust this man. For all she knew it could be a ploy to get him closer to his target by saying he's close friends with Yoshino. Kaisetsu's not an easy person to fool.

"That's his name. Yoshino Ghoul," Carl said. "I swore to myself that I will find him no matter what."

"If your cause isn't out of personal gain, why are you trying to capture an innocent boy?" Kaisetsu asked.

"…I'm not trying to capture him or bring him back to King Kong." Carl said, "I'm trying to see if that boy was Yoshino."

Kaisetsu raised an eyebrow at Carl's reply.

"That boy talked only through the bear puppet he had like a ventriloquist and oddly enough that puppet is covering the same right hand my friend lost years ago," Carl said. "He had auburn brown hair and huge black eyes along with his father's bow, Fujin Yumi. I'd recognize that boy anywhere. There is no mistake that was definitely Yoshino."

Kaisetsu's suspicion of Carl was growing thinner the more he went into detail. He knew what Yoshino looked like and he doesn't sound like he's faking his story, but Kaisetsu has heard of people who are good at expressing fake emotions. All he needs is a test.

"Carl, I know this isn't what we agreed on, but can I ask one more important question?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Hm? Well sure, but wh-"

"What is the most important item to this Yoshino person?" Kaisetsu asked cutting him off mid-sentence.

"His most important item?" Carl asked, "Well his red compass of course. That thing was a gift from his mother on his eighth birthday! He wrote the words: "2/14. Never Forget". That was the happiest day of Yoshino's life since everyone came to his birthday party and had a fun time. Valentines' Day was Yoshino's birthday."

Kaisetsu let out a small smile as she sheathed her Murasaki.

Carl raised an eyebrow at the sudden action his opponent took, "What on earth are you doing? Are you surrendering?"

"No, I am not, Carl," Kaisetsu said, "I'm going to trust you for now."

"Trust me?" Carl asked.

"That boy you and your pals are after is indeed Yoshino Ghoul, your childhood friend," Kaisetsu explained much to Carl's surprise, "Listen to me carefully because I will not repeat myself. I am trusting you to not pull any funny business when I take you to him. If you try anything, I will cut you down. Understand?"

"Really? You'll take me to him?" Carl asked.

"Yes, I will explain your presence to the others," Kaisetsu said, "In exchange for letting you see Yoshino you'll tell us everything about this little group you and that bird lady are in."

"Of course…and thank you," Carl said. "But, why are you trusting me? I could be faking my story just to get closer to Yoshino.

"Even if you tried something, not only will you have me to deal with but also my captain," Kaisetsu said as she turned from him, "Trust me, you do not want to cross her. Now come along. You're bird friend must be at Kaya's mansion by now."

"Sure." Carl said as his sword transformed back into his cat, Sparky. He pets his sick cat and smiled, "Hear that, Sparky? We're going to see Yoshino again. I'm so glad…" But then he remembered something, "Wait, you didn't answer my question."

Kaisetsu stopped and turned back to him, "And what is your question?"

"What is your reason for wielding the katana?" Carl asked.

"Reason?" Kaisetsu asked as she closed her eyes. In her heart and mind she remembered someone dear to her that she misses every day that passed, "My reason for wielding Murasaki is to find someone very dear to me just like you."

"Heh, we really have a lot in common, huh?" Carl asked with a chuckle.

"…Yeah, I guess we do," Kaisetsu said as she returned a smile.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Ackmor and Kaya chased Daphne, who was in her White Dove model, all the way to Kaya's mansion.

"That's far enough, Daphne!" Ackmor shouted.

Daphne landed on top of the roof and transformed back into her human form to send a sneering look at the two, "You guys just don't know when to give up, do you?"

"When it comes to the safety of an injured patient, I'd put my life on the line," Kaya declared, "You people keep attacking the poor child and I won't stand for it!"

"Then what are you going to do about it?" Daphne asked, "You're just a plain woman trying to play the tough hero, so save your speeches. Neither of you two can intimidate me in the slightest."

"I would be careful with what I say if I were you," Ackmor said, "There are people in this world who are more than they appear."

"More than they appear, you say?" Daphne asked as she smirked, "I take it then that you are as tough as they come?"

Ackmor bit his lip as he stared into the woman's eyes, "That's right. I am." He lied. Ackmor doesn't want to admit it, but compared to Belle and Kaisetsu, he doesn't have anything special or outstanding.

"Well in that case, I guess I can play with you before I retrieve that darling talking bear~!" Daphne said as she began to transform into her white dove form.

"Talking bear?" Kaya asked.

"Ms. Kaya, I'm going to distract her while you go get Yoshino and Sakuya," Ackmor said.

"But what about you, Ackmor?" Kaya asked.

"I'll be okay," Ackmor said with an assuring smile, "And before you tell me, I'll make sure to run if it gets too rough."

"…Okay…but you better not take any risks." Kaya said.

"I won't." Ackmor said as he took steps forward to face Daphne.

"You're a brave little one, I'll give you that," Daphne said as she spread her wings, "I hope you give me an actual good challenge unlike many of my previous opponents."

" _What do I do? I'm never fought before in my life,"_ Ackmor thought frantically as he took a battle stance, _"Even if I did, I don't remember and yet I've thrown myself in a life-or-death battle."_

"Feather Rain!" Daphne shouted as she violently flapped her wings flinging sharp, steel-covered feathers towards Ackmor.

Ackmor stared at the feathers for a moment and tried to process his next move, _"Okay, what would Belle do in this situation?"_ He thought as he tried to picture Belle in the fight against Daphne, _"Maybe dodge?"_ The boy jumped out of the way of the raining feathers; however at the last second on of the feathers grazed his left leg.

Ackmor grunted in pain as he looked at his bleeding leg. "How sharp are those things?" He asked himself.

"Have some more, boy! Feather Rain!" Daphne shouted as she hurled dozens of steel feather barrages towards the raven-haired boy.

As he dodge each feather, Ackmor wanted to go on the offensive and began to think of a strategy, _"Okay…how would Kaisetsu go on the offensive…?"_ he thought for a long second, _"Well I haven't actually seen her fight that much, but she does use ice sword attacks so…maybe I can…no that won't work."_ He thought as he stopped to take a breather while still keeping an eye on Daphne.

"Tired already, little boy?" Daphne asked.

"Nope, I was just waiting for an opening!" Ackmor shouted as he rushed at her preparing to punch her with his right arm.

"From a distance? You are a terrible fighter, you know that?" Daphne asked as she flew over Ackmor's punch and landed on his arm. "Why don't I teach you how it's really done?!" She shouted as she kept a tight grip on Ackmor's arm and flew as high as she possibly could.

"Gaaaah! Hey, let me go!" Ackmor shouted at the bird woman.

Daphne smirked at his words, "Very poor choice of words, boy!" She shouted as she started to descend towards the ground at high speed and dropped Ackmor onto the ground at the same speed.

The impact caused parts of Ackmor's body severe pain especially in his head which was dripping out blood from the forehead. When he tried to stand up, he suddenly felt a sharp pain from his legs which caused him to scream in pain. Ackmor looked behind and saw two steel feathers embedded in both of his legs.

"Oooh that looked like it hurt" Daphne said as she landed on top of Ackmor's back. "Seeing the look of pain on your face just makes my eyes light up. You look like this is the first time you've ever felt pain."

"…T-That's…true…" Ackmor said as he clenched his head in pain, "I've never felt pain before, but now I wish I hadn't."

"Well too bad, kiddo, you're in the real world and the real world doesn't show mercy on nobodies like you." Daphne said as she turned back into a human, placed on foot on Ackmor's back, and then grabbed his right arm, "That pain you felt, is nothing compared to a dislocated shoulder."

Ackmor's eyes widen when he felt the woman grab his arm. He tried to shake her off but her heel was planted too heavily on his spine for his body to move. Then he felt a sharp pain on his shoulder as something was pulled straight out causing Ackmor to scream in agony.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Inside the mansion, Kaya ran towards Yoshino's room to check up on him, but all she found was an empty bed.

"Yoshino? Yoshino!" Kaya shouted as she searched the room for the boy slowly but surely getting angrier every second, "I told him to stay in his bed. What part of that doesn't he understand?! When he gets back he's in for a severe talk from me."

After she left the room, she looked into another to see if Yoshino was there, but who she found was not the boy but Sakuya, who was resting on a bed.

"Sakuya-san?" Kaya called out to her.

Sakuya turned to Kaya and smile, "Hello, Ms. Kaya...I'm glad you've returned…" She said still drained from the water she used to get rid of Scarlett's poison.

"Sakuya?! What happened?!" Kaya asked as she looked over the siren's pale skin, "You were poisoned just like Yoshino."

"Yeah, I was. I-I can ex-" Before she could finish, Kaya bonked her on the head, "Ow!" Sakuya cried as she rubbed her head.

"Didn't I tell you to not let Yoshino out of your sight, Sakuya?!" Kaya asked, "Why are you poisoned and where is Yoshino?"

"I was about to explain everything," Sakuya said before she realized something, "Wait…Yoshino-kun isn't with you?"

"No he isn't. Why?" Kaya asked.

"Oh no…where is he then?! I have to find him!" Sakuya shouted as she tried to get out of bed, but Kaya immediately pushed her back onto the bed stopping her from moving.

"Don't be an idiot, Sakuya. Your poison will kill you if you move around." Kaya told her.

"B-But Yoshino-kun…" Sakuya whispered as she calmed down while also feeling powerless. The thought of Yoshino being in any danger with the wounds he has without her there to help him brings pain to the siren's heart.

"Right now, Ackmor's outside fighting one of those pirates who were after Yoshino," Kaya said searching into the cabinets for medicine that will treat Sakuya's poison.

"Ackmor-kun's in danger too?!" Sakuya asked feeling a little bit of anger rush in her head at the thought of not protecting her princes, "Why the hell am I sitting here?! I need to help my handsome princes!"

"… _Gosh, what kind of daughter did you raise, Sanji-kun?"_ Kaya thought as she awkwardly looked at the flailing siren.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Both Kaya and Sakuya jumped at the sound of Ackmor's deafening scream.

"Th-that's Ackmor-kun!" Sakuya shouted in worry, "We have to help him!"

"How many times do I have to tell you? If you move, you'll die!" Kaya told her.

"I don't care! I hate sitting around doing nothing while people fight for their lives!" Sakuya shouted at her angrily, "I did that before and I still regret doing that to this day!"

Kaya was shocked when she saw the look of regret in Sakuya's eyes when she spoke those words. Not only did she see the pain in the siren's eyes, Kaya also knows the feeling all too well.

"…Okay…but at least let me put this in your body to slow down the poison," Kaya said taking out a syringe filled with the medicine needed to slow down snake poison.

"Thank you, Ms. Kaya," Sakuya said.

"Don't be thanking me when your body suddenly collapses on you," Kaya said as she applied the syringe, "Just don't overdo your movement, okay?"

"I will." Sakuya said as she got up from bed after Kaya bandaged her arm where she applied the syringe. "Hang on, Ackmor-kun, your princess in coming to save you."

After watching the siren run out the window, Kaya sighed, "These kids are such a handful…" She muttered to herself as she walked out into the hallway, "Going out to get themselves hurt right after I spent hours healing them. A doctor's life isn't an easy one…"

But after she said that, she heard a small sound similar to that of a footstep. She turned around and didn't see anyone there, "Hello?" But there was no answer to her call, "Usopp, is that you?"

"So…you're the rich girl the captain's been talkin' bout," A deep voice said, "Now that I look at you, you're pretty cute."

"Huh?" Kaya turned around to the sound of the voice but saw nothing but the hallway beyond; however, she felt something suddenly stab her in the back causing her body to go completely numb.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"…Wh-What…?" Daphne's eyes widened after she witnessed to after she tried to dislocate Ackmor's shoulder.

Ackmor was still screaming in extreme pain to even notice what Daphne had seen.

"Y-You…" Daphne whispered as she stared at an arm and looked back at Ackmor's now missing right arm. There was indeed blood pouring from both Ackmor and his detached arm, but there is something different.

Ackmor, panting for air from the amount of screaming he did, looked at the area his right arm originally was at expecting to see his blood pouring out; however, he found more just his blood. There were mechanical pieces and wiring spread across the ground as if they had been part of a bigger piece of machinery that was torn apart.

Ackmor looked at his shoulder and saw wirings and blood on his stub shoulder.

"What _are_ you?" Daphne asked as Ackmor looked towards her direction and saw in her hand his right arm, which also had mechanical parts and wiring on the end of it.

Ackmor's eyes widened in confusion as his mind tried to process what was going on, "Wh-what?"

"Ackmor-kun!" Sakuya's voice shouted.

Ackmor turned around and saw Sakuya with a horrified expression painted on her face, "Sakuya."

"Y-Your…your arm…" Sakuya whispered as she covered her mouth. "Ackmor-kun, you're…a robot?!"

"A…robot?" Ackmor asked.

"This is…" Daphne whispered as he body shook, "This…is…AMAZING!" She suddenly screamed getting Ackmor and Sakuya's attention.

"…What?" Ackmor asked.

"I cannot believe my own eyes!" Daphne shouted as her eyes became stars at the sight of the metal on Ackmor's arm, "This metal, I've seen it before! Is this…a cybernetic arm?!"

"…A cybernetic arm?" Ackmor asked.

"Yes a cybernetic arm! It's one of the newest creations ever made!" Daphne explained as she passionately rubbed the metal on Ackmor's arm, "But I've never seen this type of cybernetics before! Ooh~! I wonder if I can break this apart and put it back together again, or should I study it first!"

As the woman rambled on about cybernetics, Sakuya and Ackmor stood where they were and simply stared at her awkwardly.

"Hey! Are you a robot, sir?" Daphne asked.

"A robot? What's a robot?" Ackmor asked.

"You don't know what a robot is?" Sakuya asked.

Daphne smirked as she said, "Perfect…class is now in session~!" She said as she got out a technology book and began reading, "Robots are the-"

"Nobody cares about robots, you hag! Give Ackmor-kun his arm back or I'll kick your face in!" Sakuya shouted.

"My word, you have quite the mouth, girl," Daphne said as she closed her book.

"So wait…am I a robot or…?" Ackmor asked.

"Actually, my robot arm friend, you're not a robot," Daphne explained as she examined the blood pouring from Ackmor's arm, if you were you wouldn't have blood but instead oil. There is only one creation that is capable of having mechanical parts and human blood…" She said as she pointed at Ackmor, "You, Mr. Non-human, are what people call an android."

"…An android?" Ackmor asked.

"Gosh, is asking questions all you do?" Daphne asked as she sweat dropped.

"Ackmor-kun is…an android? But he looks like a human." Sakuya said.

"Which is the purpose of androids," Daphne said as she took out a mechanics book, "Ah yes, Chapter 7 of Mechanical Engineering 101 states that androids were built to imitate the human body and emotions as close as possible." After closing the book, she let out an amused laugh, "Bwahahaha, so the funny thing here is that you're not a human, boy! Just a creation that thinks it can feel feelings."

Ackmor's eyes widen in shock after hearing those words, "I'm…not human?"

"Shut up with that nonsense!" Sakuya shouted at the laughing pirate who dared to insult her prince, "I refuse to believe a single thing that's coming out of your mouth especially that last insult to my precious prince!"

"Pah! Puh-lease!" Daphne scoffed, "You think a little insult like that would hurt something that is nothing more than an inanimate object? There's only one thing a creation like him is good for and that's being a lab rat for me to pick apart to find out what makes him tick."

Ackmor felt something drop in his chest. He looked down at the ground and clenched his fists as his body shook, "She's wrong…those words…they _are_ hurting me. I don't know how, but they are."

"Don't listen to a thing she says, Ackmor-kun," Sakuya said as she placed a hand on his shoulder, "I don't care about who or what you are. The most important thing I will say is that you are a precious friend of mine and I'm sure Belle and Kaisetsu, Ms. Kaya, everyone else feel the same way."

"…Sakuya…" Ackmor said as he looked at his left hand trying to let all the information given to him sink in.

"Well this was a good laugh, but I'm afraid I have to continue on to my mission." Daphne said, "You, my android friend, are going to be a bonus I bring to King Kong along with the cute talking bear!"

"Cute talking bear? What bear?" Ackmor asked.

"You aren't getting anywhere near Yoshino-kun!" Sakuya growled angrily at the woman, "I'm getting sick of you people trying to hurt him! I will do whatever it takes to keep you all away from him!"

"Blah, blah, Yoshino-kun this, blah, blah, Yoshino-kun that." Daphne said as she transformed back into her white dove state, "I've had enough talk for one day, miss. If you have such a grand death wish for your precious boyfriend then I'll be glad to grant it. Feather Rain!" She shouted as she shot another flurry of steel feathers at the two.

Sakuya was about to move, but suddenly her body went numb, "Ah…what's…" She asked as she fell down onto the ground.

"Sakuya!" Ackmor shouted as he ran in front of Sakuya to take the hit from the feathers cutting up a bit of his chest. "Ah!" He fell onto his knees while holding his wounded chest.

"A-Ackmor-kun…" Sakuya whispered, "Damn…my body's become numb from the poison. I can't…move."

"Well this battle has gone swimmingly for me. I feel bad for you, Mr. Android." Daphne said, "To suddenly find out you're just a creation built to feel feelings when really you're nothing but an object must really hurt. But then again, a thing can't really hurt emotionally."

"Th-that's wrong…you are hurting me," Ackmor said, "I…I didn't know I was this so-called android until you called me one. I didn't know because I don't have memories of myself…so…so of course I would believe I'm a human."

"But you're not," Daphne said, "Don't try to pretend to be something you clearly aren't. That's a life lesson. It also applies in battle too. You made too many obvious choices a first-timer would make such as punching sharp objects head-on. Be honest, you were trying to imitate one of your friends' fighting style, am I right?"

"…" Ackmor didn't say a word.

"See, just embrace what you really are and stop trying to fool yourself," Daphne said.

"If I do…then…who am I then? What about me is there to embrace?" Ackmor asked.

"I told you. You are an an-"

"I'm not talking about what I am! I'm talking about _who_ I am!" Ackmor shouted, "I have no name except one that was just made-up, no people to call family like Kaisetsu and Belle have, and no place to truly call home. You're telling me to…to embrace that? No! I won't! I'd rather have something than nothing and if that means to ignore who I truly am then I'm okay with that. Those few minutes of being truly alone…being left on that island for God-knows what reason is like dying. I won't go back to feeling that way. Not after meeting Belle. I'm…" He said as he clenched his left fist that suddenly started to burst in blue flames.

Daphne's eyes widen from the sight of the blue flames. "What the-?"

"Blue flames?" Sakuya asked as her eyes were captivated by the sky blue fire that had engulfed Ackmor's left arm.

Ackmor stood up and glared at Daphne before an image of a man with a tattoo on his back flashed in his mind.

" _Start living before you start dying, kid."_ The man said.

"I'm going to do just that. I'm going to start living before I start dying!" With one swing of his fist, Ackmor sent a full wave of raging blue fire towards Daphne.

"Too fast!" Daphne shouted as she was hit by the fast attack that she had no time to evade from.

The attack sent the woman flying across the forest all the way to the edge of a cliff knocking her unconscious.

Ackmor stared at the burned state the forest ahead of him was in. Fire was everywhere threatening to burn down the trees. Ackmor stared at his hand. "What did I just…" He whispered as he closed his fists. When he did that, all of the fire on the trees vanished.

"The fire…vanished?" Sakuya asked.

"Sakuya, are you alright?" Ackmor asked as he turned to her.

"I-I'm okay, Ackmor-kun…but are you okay?" Sakuya asked.

"Well I lost my arm. Other than that, I think I'm okay." Ackmor said.

"No, I mean. _Are_ you okay?" Sakuya asked, "What she said to you, it couldn't have been easy to hear."

"…I'm an android…and so what?" Ackmor said, "It's not like I really can't feel emotions otherwise I wouldn't have been hurt by what she said. I know that I'm more than just a lifeless creation because…well…I have Belle."

"Do you…care about her that much?" Sakuya asked.

"I know she and I just met a week ago, but I do know that she isn't the type of person to send me away just because I have a few nuts and bolts inside of me," Ackmor said, "The same can be said to you, Kaisetsu, and Yoshino too. So I do care about Belle. It's the least I could do to thank her for caring about my troubles."

"…I see…" Sakuya said feeling a little bit of envy for Belle, but then she smiled, "That's wonderful, Ackmor-kun."

"AAAACHOOO!" A loud sneeze erupted from behind Ackmor.

"Ah!" Ackmor screamed in fright as he turned around and saw Belle sniffing her nose. "Belle?!"

"Hi, Acky!" Belle greeted as she was only on the left side of Ackmor's body unable to see the state of his right arm.

"I see you guys have gotten everything under control here," Usopp said from behind Belle.

"Usopp…" Ackmor said.

"Sakuya!" A familiar high-pitched voice called as Sakuya saw Yoshino running towards her.

"Yoshino-kun, oh how I've missed you!" Sakuya shouted with heart-shaped eyes.

"What are you doing out here?" Yoshino asked through Momo, "You're supposed to be resting inside."

"I'm sorry, my sweet prince, but Ackmor-kun was in danger and I wanted to help him out." Sakuya explained.

"At the cost of your life, though?" Yoshino asked through Momo, "You were just chewing me out about getting out of my bed but now you're going to get the same courtesy." He said as he picked the girl up, "Come on, back to bed you go."

"Y-Yoshino-kun, you d-don't have to carry me…" Sakuya stuttered as a blush painted her entire face in red.

"If you move the poison will kill you," Yoshino said through Momo.

" ***Sniff*** man…that was one heck of a sneeze." Belle said to Ackmor, "You got a tissue?"

"B-Belle, you did not just sneeze on me, did you?" Ackmor asked.

"What? No I didn't!" Belle shouted, "I…only sneezed on your shoes."

"You what?! These shoes were a gift!" Ackmor shouted angrily, "Don't you know how precious they are to me?!"

"…Actually, no I didn't Ackmor." Belle said.

Ackmor's eyes widen in realization of what he just said, "Wait, did I just say these shoes are special to me?"

"Yeah," Belle said with a smile.

"Hey, could this mean you're getting your memories back?" Usopp asked.

"Maybe…" Ackmor said as he began to think about what he remembered.

"Do you remember anything?" Belle asked.

"Well…not really." Ackmor said, "The only thing I have is a man with a tattoo on his back. You guys know anyone like that?"

"…" Usopp remained silent. He had a feeling he knew the person with that description, but it's too soon for him to shoot out the answer just yet.

"Hmm…nope, doesn't ring a…Belle," Belle said with a wide smile, "Eh?! Get it!"

"Damnit, Belle…" Usopp muttered.

"…" Ackmor stared at her for a few seconds and then smiled, "Ooooh! I get it. Your name, Belle, sounds exactly like the word bell. I didn't think of that."

"Yeah, isn't it awesome?" Belle asked.

"Yeah, almost as awesome as what's going to happen to you if you make that God-awful pun again!" Ackmor said with a smile.

"Ahehehe…is that a good or bad thing?" Belle asked.

"Hey, are you guys coming or what?" Yoshino asked them through Momo.

"Oh we're coming," Ackmor said as he turned to Yoshino, but ended up showing Belle his missing right arm.

Belle and Usopp's eyes widen when she saw the sparks from his arm, "A-Ackmor! Wh-What the hell happened to your arm?!" Belle shouted.

Ackmor turned back at them, "Oh…well….you see…."

"I'm not going to wait on you guys forever, you know!" Yoshino said through Momo before he also saw Ackmor's body change, "Wh-what in the…"

"Hey, guys! Sorry to keep you waiting!" Another familiar voice shouted.

Everyone turned to see Kaisetsu with Carl walking beside her.

"Hey, Kaisetsu~!" Belle greeted. "I haven't seen you all day!"

Kaisetsu took on a shocked expression when she saw the broken state Ackmor's arm was in, "The hell?!"

"Kaisetsu! What are you doing with that guy?" Ackmor asked pointing at Carl who was too busy staring at Yoshino, who was also staring back at him.

"Long story short, Carl has someone he wants to meet." Kaisetsu said as she got closer to Ackmor to examine his missing arm, "Now what the hell's with your arm. It's got a…robotic feel to it."

"Yeah, what's with that, Acky?" Belle asked.

"…Why don't we have that discussion once we get inside?" Ackmor asked.

Usopp sighed because of everything going on around him being shot at him at once, "Yes, I think that's a good idea. First this Gary person we just defeated, then the sudden blue fire that burned parts of the forest, then Ackmor, and now this Carl character…It's going to be difficult wrapping my head around this."

"Yeah…I'm already confused…" Belle said.

"Why is that not so surprising?" Ackmor asked.

"I'll go get Kaya while you guys stay in the lounge, okay?" Usopp said as he went inside the mansion.

Yoshino and Carl continued to stare at each other in the eyes. Sakuya notices the confusion hidden in Yoshino's blank expression, "Yoshino-kun, are you okay?"

"…Hey, Yoshino," Carl began the conversation, "I see you've picked yourself a fine lady. Good for you."

"Oh! F-fine?" Sakuya asked with a blush painted on her cheeks, "No handsome man's ever described me that way before."

"…Leave, Carl," Yoshino said through Momo as he turned his back to Carl.

"Whoa…what's with the tone of your voice, literally?" Carl asked, "It's as if you're a different person from the lazybones I remember."

"…It's none of your business," Yoshino said through Momo, "Go home, Carl. Go back to those ingrates who see me as the monster I really am."

"Yoshino, that's not-" Carl stopped himself before he corrected his statement, "It's true that everyone hated you, but things have changed."

"To my convenience?" Yoshino asked through Momo, "Thanks but no thanks. I won't have them apologize to me because they suddenly need me again." He said before he walked away.

Sakuya stared at Yoshino's face as he carried her into the mansion and felt his tears on her face, "Yoshino-kun…"

" _ **Was that a friend of Yoshino's?"**_ Momo thought.

"… _Not anymore, Momo. I don't want to see another face from that island again."_ Yoshino thought.

"…Yoshino…" Carl whispered as his cat, Sparky, rubbed his head.

"Well at least you weren't lying to me about your history with the boy." Kaisetsu said.

"Yikes, what happened there?" Belle asked, "Yoshi didn't act like that around us?"

"Yoshi?" Ackmor asked.

"What? It's the only nickname I can think of." Belle said.

"Ignore them, Carl," Kaisetsu said to Carl, "What Yoshino said to you…that couldn't have been easy to hear."

"…No, it wasn't. Yoshino, what happened…?" Carl whispered to himself.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile on the Jungle Force pirates' ship, King Kong waited on his throne impatiently with his arms crossed.

"Master Kong, I have returned!" Said a silver haired, black-eyed man with hair that was tied only into a pony tail. His outfit consisted of a black sweatshirt that was slightly ripped in the front showing his broad chest, a blue cape that reached his mid back, black dreadnought pants, and brown combat boots.

"Rishu?" King Kong asked. "Then I take it that Carl, Daphne, Gary, and Scarlett failed their mission?"

"I am afraid so, Master," Rishu said, "But look on the bright side. You'll only have to share this island's wealth with only me and I don't ask for much when it comes to you."

"Haha, that's why I like you, Rishu," King Kong said, "Excellent job spying on every one of those misfit pirates to pinpoint the exact person to target, by the way. Sometimes I wonder why I don't just leave important missions to you."

"Well how else are you going to be able to launch back-up plans?" Rishu asked.

"True," King Kong said, "So…who of that group did to deem as the most important?"

Rishu smirked as he showed Kaya, paralyzed and tied up in strong spider webbing, to King Kong. "Who else but the richest doctor on the whole damn island?"

"Excellent work, Rishu," King Kong said.

"It's my pleasure to serve, Lord Kong," Rishu said, "Not only will this girl's family pay a fortune to have her free, but the puppet boy we're after will surely sacrifice himself to save him and there won't be anything those troublesome kids and God Usopp can do to stop that."

"You did leave a convincing message for him, yes?" King Kong asked.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Usopp happened upon a large spider web that had Kaya's wedding ring attached to it with the following message:

 _Have the puppet boy bring only himself and 500 million beri to the southern shore by 12 o' clock noon, or the next web I spin will have limbs scattered all over it._

"N-No! K-Kaya!" Usopp screamed.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Oh…I made sure to write that message as serious and deadly as humanly possible." Rishu said before he let out a sadistic laugh.

"Y-Yosh…ino…" Kaya whispered.

"Whoops, looks like my little paralysis worn off on you, pretty one," Rishu said before he transformed into a large black and yellow colored spider. "But don't worry," He said before he stabbed Kaya again in the back with his stinger, "The Model Medusa Spider of my Insect Insect Fruit only allows my stinger to paralyze your body, so no worries for poison. But your dear husband better be careful and follow my king's demands to the letter, or the next thing I'll paralyze is your heart."

"Y-Yosh…ino…" Kaya whispered as her mind started to drift, "U-u…s-sopp…" She whispered before she lost consciousness.

* * *

 **Jurabi: Wow! That took fucking forever to do! At first, I felt like people aren't going to like the Kaisetsu fight but then I remembered that I told you that this arc isn't going to have amazing ass fights. It's more centered on establishing the main cast so the next chapter will establish Kaisetsu and Belle's characters. This chapter was about what Ackmor really is. An android like the androids from DBZ.**

 **At first, waaaay back when the original version of this series started, Ackmor was originally a robot. Not anymore. He's an android with no memories…except now he remembers a man with a tattoo on his back! Hmmm! Who do you think he remembers?**

 **I think Usopp knows something since he didn't say no! And what do you guys think of Ackmor's awakened powers to use blue flames. Originally I thought of the classic red flames, but I decided blue flames because blue fire is actually hotter than regular fire if I'm not mistaken.**

 **Now before you go saying, Ackmor's a cliché mary-sue or whatever…he just got this ability to use fire and he was lucky to have beaten Daphne with it at all. Plus, he hasn't developed a unique fighting style, thus is why he was trying to fight like Belle and Kaisetsu instead of his own way.**

 **Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!** **If you want to share your thoughts, write up a great review, hit that favorite and follow button and I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	6. The Oathkeeper Pirates

_**Previously on One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates…**_

 _ **"Hmm….nope, doesn't ring a…Belle," Belle said with a wide smile, "Eh?! Get it!"**_

 _ **"Damnit, Belle…" Usopp muttered.**_

 _ **"…" Ackmor stared at her for a few seconds and then smiled, "Ooooh! I get it. Your name, Belle, sounds exactly like the word bell. I didn't think of that."**_

 _ **"Yeah, isn't it awesome?" Belle asked.**_

 _ **"Yeah, almost as awesome as what's going to happen to you if you make that God-awful pun again!" Ackmor said with a smile.**_

 _ **And now…back to the sea…**_

* * *

 **The Oathkeeper Pirates**

A full hour had passed after Usopp had discovered the mysterious threat message that was displayed in the lounge. Everyone else's reactions to Kaya being kidnapped appeared different but were one in the same deep inside. Belle was obviously furious as was Kaisetsu, but she kept her calm demeanor. Ackmor and Sakuya were just as angry, but also in a state of panic due, and Yoshino and Carl were feeling guilt for being slightly responsible for Kaya's kidnapping. Instead of spending their time panicking, the group instead moved to the resting areas where they could put the still injured Sakuya and Ackmor while discussing their plan of action.

"Damn them…" Usopp growled angrily as he clenched his right fist which carried Kaya's wedding ring, "If they touch a single hair on her head…"

"…I'll rip them to shreds!" Belle finished just as angrily.

"Both of you, I know it's difficult to do, but you must try and calm down." Kaisetsu said, "This King Kong person knows how to get to you and will take advantage of your blind rage."

"…You're right, Kai," Belle said, "But that doesn't make me any less pissed off."

"I understand how you feel, but there is a lot about our enemies we don't know about," Kaisetsu said.

"It's my fault anyway…" Ackmor said, "If I had just kept a better eye on Kaya…"

"No one is blaming you for this, Acky," Belle said. "The person who kidnapped Kaya was most likely hiding and waiting for Kaya to be alone even for a second."

"…But you all now know that I'm more powerful than I let on," Ackmor said.

"What do you mean?" Belle asked.

"Look at what I did to the forest," Ackmor said looking out the window where they could see the charred forest, "I have the power to do that all this time, but I couldn't awaken it."

"This was beyond your control, Ackmor," Usopp said, "Even if you had awakened this power of yours, without the proper training it wouldn't have done much."

"But I..." Ackmor whispered.

"Give yourself some more time and you'll be able to protect anyone with your power," Usopp said.

"...I'm supposed to be this new and unique, super-intelligent android that can think ahead of time..." Ackmor said.

"Come on, Acky, you're being too hard on yourself," Belle said, "Kaya would never blame you for what happened to her if her own husband doesn't. Your new powers are just as awesome as you are."

"A-Awesome?" Ackmor asked not noticing how his cheeks were heating up.

"That's right. So please don't beat yourself over this." Belle pleaded, "You're a good person, Ackmor, and it hurts me to see you talk bad about yourself."

"Belle..." Ackmor said as he stared at his torn-off arm for a long second and nodded, "Sure...I'll try to have more confidence."

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's discuss a strategy that won't get Kaya killed." Kaisetsu said.

"Y-You don't suggest agreeing to their terms, do you Kaisetsu?" Ackmor asked.

"How could you?!" Sakuya shouted from her bed, "You would trade my Yoshino-kun to those scoundrels?!"

"Sakuya, don't flail around like that," Yoshino said through Momo as he tried to calm the screaming siren down.

"I am not saying that we should trade Yoshino," Kaisetsu said trying to clear out any confusion. "I'm saying that we should come up with a plan that will result in getting Kaya back safely and keeping Yoshino."

"So what do you suggest?" Usopp asked.

"…I haven't thought up a plan just yet," Kaisetsu said, "We have until tomorrow noon to meet their terms."

"May I make a suggestion?" Carl spoke up getting everyone's attention.

"I don't think you're allowed to, mister," Sakuya said, "You and your friends planned this whole thing."

"Wait, I know we've been enemies before, but I never knew about this version of the plan." Carl explained, "We were only given orders to capture Yoshino and find out who was the richest on the island. King Kong never said anything about kidnapping her and holding her for ransom."

"But you were planning on doing that, weren't you?" Sakuya asked.

"No we weren't," Carl said, "The Jungle Force pirates only stole the money from people, not take them hostage for ransoms. But even still, I only joined them to find Yoshino and nothing more."

"You expect us to believe you just because of your forced friendship story with Yoshino-kun?" Sakuya asked, "That alone is not enough of a reason to trust you."

"Calm down, Sakuya," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Yoshino-kun?" Sakuya asked a bit surprised that Yoshino would defend Carl.

"Everyone, I know you don't trust Carl here, but I believe he's telling the truth that he is no longer aiding the Jungle Force pirates," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Interesting…" Kaisetsu said, "Why exactly do you trust him?"

"Because he is my friend," Yoshino said through Momo, "Sure, he never should have left home, but he is with good intentions."

"I'm sorry, but that's not a good enough reason to trust him," Usopp said.

"Well, he'll just have to earn your trust, won't you Carl?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Yoshino…what happened to you?" Carl asked.

"What happened?" Yoshino asked through Momo unsure of what Carl was implying.

"First of all, why are you talking through that puppet?" Carl asked.

At that question, Momo suddenly scratched Carl's face with his sharp claws.

"OWW!" Carl screamed covering his bleeding face.

 **"IF YOU CALLS MOMO THAT AGAIN, MOMO WILL CUT MORE THAN YOUR FACE!"** Momo screamed.

"Whoa, Yoshi, you didn't have to get that violent," Belle said.

Hearing Belle's voice, Momo scratched Belle's face multiple times.

"OOOOW!" Belle screamed covering her bleeding face as she rolled around the floor.

 **"AND YOU DESERVED THAT FOR CALLING MOMO A PUPPET BACK IN THE FOREST!"** Momo shouted angrily.

"Ooow~! What the hell is wrong with you, Yoshi?!" Belle shouted, "It's not like I called you a puppet!"

Yoshino let out a silent sigh as he bobbed his bear puppet on the head, "See what you did now, Momo? They think I'm the one taking offense to that name."

 **"Momo doesn't care! It's the stupid humans' fault for calling Momo a puppet, which he is clearly not!"** Momo huffed.

"I see, so you're that talking bear the Jungle Force pirates were after," Kaisetsu said examining the bear.

"Talking bear?" Ackmor asked.

"Are you crazy, that's just a puppet, Kaisetsu," Sakuya said.

A tick mark formed on Momo's head, **"HOW MANY FACES MUST BE SCRATCHED BEFORE THE HUMANS GET IT?! MOMO IS NOT A PUPPET!"**

"You're right, you're not a puppet," Kaisetsu said. "But you are not a bear also."

"Yoshino, what is that thing?" Ackmor asked, "I've been wondering about it ever since I saw it."

"Wait…you're not a ventriloquist…are you?" Sakuya asked.

"No, I'm not," Yoshino said through Momo. "Momo, would you like to introduce yourself?"

 **"Hmph!"** Momo pouted before he raised his paw, **"Momo's name is Momo. There is one important thing every human must remember: Momo is not a puppet. Anyone who calls Momo that will get their faces clawed off!"** He said showing them his claws.

There was total silence in the room. Everyone just stared blankly at the bear and then at Yoshino like he had gone insane.

"This is no joke," Yoshino said through Momo, "This is my companion, Momo."

"Are you sure?" Belle asked, "It looks like a regular puppet to me."

Momo scratched her in the face again for that comment.

"OOOOW!" Belle screamed.

 **"Momo dares you to keep calling him that! Momo will make you his personal claw sharpener!"** Momo shouted.

"Oh, I see," Usopp said.

"What is it, Usopp?" Ackmor asked.

"I'm noticing a slight difference in the way they talk," Usopp said.

"The way they talk?" Sakuya asked.

"Ah, I was wondering when someone else was going to bring that up," Kaisetsu said, "Yoshino has been talking in first person while Momo here has been talking in third person. So far, Momo hasn't referred to himself by using the words "I" or "me". He just says things like cutting "Momo will make you his personal claw sharpener" instead of "I will make you my personal claw sharpener" when talking to her."

"Ooooh! I get it now," Sakuya said. "That's actually kinda cute."

"Yeah, that's what he basically is," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Now that we've gotten that confusion out of the way, what exactly are you if you're not a puppet?" Carl asked.

"…" Momo stayed silent for a second until he put his head down, **"Momo doesn't know himself…"** He said, **"All Momo remembers is meeting Yoshino and becoming his hand."**

"Wait, becoming Yoshino-kun's hand?" Sakuya asked.

"This just keeps getting weirder and weirder…" Usopp said.

"Momo, I told you to never bring that up," Yoshino said through Momo.

 **"Momo is sorry,"** Momo said, **"Anyways, Momo is not a puppet. Do the humans understand?"**

"Yes, we understand…" Everyone said monotonously.

"So Momo is why the Jungle Force pirates are after me this whole time," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Wait, you mean-" Usopp said.

"Yes, I lied to you, Usopp," Yoshino said through Momo, "I'm sorry…"

"…Ah it's fine," Belle said, "Well with me anyways. The least you could have done was warn us about your sensitive friend."

 **"How would Belle feel if Momo or other people called her Tangerine Hair?!"** Momo shouted.

"Nothing really," Belle said. "People in the Marines called me that all the time."

 **"…Not the response Momo was expecting,"** Momo said in defeat.

"I'm okay with you withholding personal information from me, Yoshino," Usopp said, "I understand why you did what you did, being chased around by pirates and all."

"Thank you…" Yoshino said through Momo.

"Yoshino, how come you're not talking with your regular voice?" Carl asked.

"What do you mean his regular voice?" Sakuya asked, "Yoshino-kun is a mute."

"No, he isn't," Carl said, "For as long as I remembered, Yoshino can definitely talk with his own voice."

"You're right about that," Yoshino said through Momo, "That's another thing I lied to you about. I'm not a mute and I'm not a ventriloquist."

"You're not?" Ackmor asked.

"Then how are you even speaking through that bear?" Kaisetsu asked.

 **"Upupu…UPUPU! HAHAHA! The confused look on your faces is so amusing to Momo,"** Momo laughed hysterically.

"Hey shut up, stupid bear!" Belle shouted, "It's not our fault Yoshi kept us in the dark about this!"

 **"Momo knows,"** Momo said, **"The reason Yoshino isn't able to talk, despite not being a mute, is because of his neck."**

"His neck?" Usopp asked.

Yoshino pulled down the collar of his shirt revealing a terrible gash across the core of his neck.

"Youch…" Belle winced at the sight of the mark holding her own neck in response.

"Who had the audacity to hurt my precious Yoshino-kun?!" Sakuya shouted angrily, "I'll make sure the bitch gets what she deserves!" She said as fire started to cover her entire body to symbolize her rage.

"Don't worry about that, Sakuya," Yoshino said through Momo, "The person who did this to me…the person who caused all of my pain is going to get what's coming to them as long as I draw breath."

"Who did this to you?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Does it matter?" Yoshino asked through Momo, "It's not like you would care about that person. He's nothing but the pure definition of evil along with that demon captain of his."

"…" Kaisetsu remained quiet after his statement.

"Besides, we have more important matters to deal with, right Usopp?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Yes." Usopp said, "We need to come up with a plan to rescue Kaya and since Yoshino seems to trust him, we should listen to what Carl has in mind."

"Of course," Carl said, "This plan may be flawed in a few ways, but it could very well work." He said as he explained his plan to rescue Kaya.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, on the Jungle Force pirates' ship, Kaya woke up from her unconsciousness to find herself tied up in strong spider webbing against the mast of the ship. She tried to scream, but her mouth was also wrapped in webbing preventing her from making a single sound.

"My, you really like to wake up early, don't you girl?" Rishu asked as he walked up to the hostage. Hearing Kaya struggle with her bondages made the man smile as he gently stroked her cheek, "To be honest, I think the money you will get us from slavers would be worth much more than from a hostage exchange. But there's no need to be so frightened, dear. I'll be sure to take gooood care of you until then." He said with a sadistic smile.

"Rishu," King Kong said getting Rishu's attention.

"Yes, my lord?" Rishu asked.

"If you're done flirting with the hostage, you can start preparing the animals." King Kong ordered.

"As you command, my lord," Rishu said as he smiled at Kaya, "I'll be seeing you later, pretty one." He said before he went into the ship bay with King Kong.

 _"W-What are they planning?"_ Kaya thought as she still struggled against her bindings, _"Usopp...what do I do?"_

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"This plan is risky as all hell, Carl..." Yoshino said through Momo as he walked through the forest with Carl while carrying a cart of three treasure chests.

"You need to trust me on this, Yoshino," Carl said as he covered Yoshino and himself in fake blood, "Once they buy into our little charade, we'll have Kaya rescued before they know it."

"Have you thought about what might happen if this didn't work?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

 **"Yeah, what if your dumb plan fails miserably?"** Momo asked.

"It's not going to fail. I know King Kong enough to know that he will fall for this plan," Carl said, "Besides, you guys weren't able to come up with any plans and we were lucky enough to make it on time with this money at all."

"There's still the issue of everyone else not trusting you," Yoshino said through Momo.

"You seem to trust me," Carl said, "After all, I am 'bringing' you to King Kong as ordered. Even the siren girl you're so fond of was ready to choke me after I said that."

"F-Fond of?" Yoshino asked as his cheeks turned red a bit.

"She was fond of you so I thought you'd be the same to her," Carl said bluntly.

"Well…I am." Yoshino stuttered through Momo. "You have a problem with that?"

"Not at all," Carl said, "It's quite the opposite actually."

"What do you mean by that?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"You never seemed to like girls that much actually thanks to your sister," Carl laughed.

"…" Yoshino looked down at the ground.

"Sorry…I didn't mean to-"

"We're almost there…" Yoshino said through Momo quickly interrupting and changing the subject, "You said you'd tie me up and show them that you captured me, right?"

"Yeah…" Carl said as he took out some rope and began tying Yoshino's hands behind his back, "Now are you really sure you trust me?"

 **"What an odd thing for someone who wants Yoshino and Momo to trust him to say,"** Momo said, **"As long as Carl's plan gets the stupid, filthy pirates off of Momo's ass, Momo doesn't care!"**

"I'm asking Yoshino, not you, you weird talking bear thing," Carl said.

 **"Stupid human is lucky Yoshino and Momo are tied up right now!"** Momo growled.

"Says the stupid bear who can't shut its mouth!" Carl shouted.

"Carl…when I said I trust you," Yoshino said through Momo as he turned to Carl, "I meant it."

"Yoshino…" Carl said.

"Things may have changed me…but I'm glad you're still the same Carl." Yoshino said through Momo, "When I saw you on that ship with that pirate crew…I was afraid that you turned into one of them. A…A filthy pirate!"

"I wasn't planning on being in the position I was for long," Carl said, "I only wanted to find you and I have to say that went faster than I expected. Well the sooner the better…"

"Why did you want to find me?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

Carl's face became serious after being asked that, "I can't explain here…but something terrible has happened back at home."

"Them again? Why the hell should I care about those rats?!" Yoshino shouted angrily through Momo.

"Yoshino…" Carl said, "You don't mean that."

"…I do," Yoshino said through Momo as he clenched his fist while gritting his teeth. "Come on, we need to focus on saving Kaya."

"…Right," Carl said.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Kaya was watching as cyborg enhanced animal after animal was lead up onto the deck by Rishu. _"All these poor animals... How can anyone be this cruel?"_

Rishu herded all the animals close to him as he faced the island. "All right you stupid beast, here are your orders the minute you see one of those loser animal warriors with Yoshino show up you are to charge the island and kill every last person on there"

Kaya's eyes widen in anger and despair. She struggled in her binds trying scream at Rishu not to harm her island.

"Hold your order there, Rishu," King Kong said as he caught sight of two figures.

"What is it, sir?" Rishu asked.

"I see Carl coming in with Yoshino. When we have them on the ship release the animals" King Kong orders.

Rishu grinned wickedly as Kaya struggled and screamed louder for them to stop. "With pleasure my king"

Carl dragged a limping Yoshino towards the ship. "King Kong! I have brought the treasure and run away as you have demanded. The straw hats request that we give them back Lady Kaya!" He yelled not getting on the ship yet.

 _ **"Carl's plan isn't going to work…"**_ Momo thought.

 _"It's going to work,"_ Yoshino responded in his mind.

"Well done Carl. But I do not plan on releasing Kaya until I see the treasure and the talking bear myself" King Kong said.

Carl signaled for Sparky to sneak onto the ship. "I understand my King. Will you send help to fetch the treasure while I bring the runaway aboard?"

"Yes, you make a point. Rishu go fetch the treasure for me" King Kong said not questioning Carl's word.

Momo faced palmed at how stupid the monkey-like king was. _**"What a dumbass that man is,"**_ Momo thought to Yoshino.

"If I may be so bold, my lord, I don't like this one bit," Rishu stated with suspicious painted on his scowl towards the group.

"Rishu, my loyal, man Carl has no reason to deceive us. He has clearly brought us what we have asked for and has not brought the straw hats with him as asked" King Kong said.

"Perhaps, but you have not been spying on their group as I have." Rishu said, "Up until I have kidnapped the hostage, I have had my little spider underlings spy on the target's every move and every interaction as well as the process of Carl, Scarlett, Daphne and Gary. So I know about your story with Yoshino, Carl and there is no doubt you both have made an elaborate plan to trick us."

 _"You just had jinxed us, Momo..."_ Yoshino said to his bear friend.

 _ **"Momo is not apologizing,"**_ Momo thought stubbornly.

"Well then, Rishu, if you have that little faith in me you can check the treasure and the runaway personally and if you find something that shows even the slightest hint of betrayal, you can off the hostage and ruin this so-called 'plan' you're accusing us of forging," Carl said calmly.

Rishu grinned wickedly. "See I would do that, but we're going to take the pretty one to the slave traders. She's a fine woman she'll fetch a nice price. No, see I have a better way to test your loyalty. Kill the boy and bring the bear to us!"

Carl's heart sped up a bit after hearing Rishu's order, but he kept his calm attitude, "Is that truly necessary, Rishu? The amount of blood the boy will spill on my clothes and on Sparky will take days to get off."

"Does it look like I care about your clothes and your dumb kitty?" Rishu asked, "The fact that you are even questioning my loyalty test is enough evidence of betrayal, don't you?"

"No of course not," Carl said, "It's just…"

"I figured that your king would want to have the honor of killing me." Yoshino said through Momo interrupting Carl, "After all, I did cost him a lot of his time and there was that crown Momo flicked off your head."

As the group continued talking to the pirates, Kaya notices that Sparky was slowly making her way to her. When the cat was by the mast she began to claw away the spider webs.

After being released from the webs, Kaya silently looked at the cat, who clawed away the webbing on Kaya's mouth. Kaya then notices a note attached to Minty, _"Wait for me. Don't move and don't make a sound."_ She thought, _"Usopp…"_

"How dare you consider yourself worthy to be killed by the Great King Kong?!" Rishu asked angrily.

"The boy speaks the truth Rishu. I do wish to grind his bones to dust and rip his heart out while it still beats for disrespecting my crown! I, the Great King Kong will not be humiliated by a mere boy and his puppet bear!" King Kong roared pounding his chest.

 **"BIG STINKY APE MUST HAVE A DEATH WISH FOR CALLING MOMO A PUPPET! MOMO SHOULD CLAW YOUR HEART OUT FOR THAT!"** Momo screamed angrily.

"You'll get used to that anger fit once you have him," Yoshino said through Momo, "Isn't the fact that Carl and I are all beaten up from our battle against each other proof enough. All your king needs to do is finish me, claim the treasure, and release Kaya just as you promised!"

"Last time I recalled, my message said 'Have the puppet boy bring only himself and 500 million beri to the southern shore by 12 o'clock noon, or the next web I spin will have limbs scattered all over it' and here is your pretty girl with all limbs attached."

"Hehehehe," Yoshino giggled a little bit.

"Hey! What are you laughing about?!" Rishu asked angrily, "I have the woman who saved your life hostage and you're laughing?!"

"No, no…" Yoshino said through Momo, "It's just, that doesn't look anything like Kaya. It looks more like a plant version of her!"

"What?!" Rishu yelled looking back to see that a plant Kaya was indeed standing there, but it was only a plant version of her. Up above in the crow's nest stood three figures with one holding another.

Usopp who was holding a shaking Kaya glared death down upon Rishu and King Kong along with Belle and Kaisetsu. "You dared to touch my wife and threatened my village? You have sealed your lives away with this accursed crime. And I will personally you both to hell for this!" he yelled angrily.

Before Usopp could move both Belle and Kaisetsu stepped in front of him. "Let us handle this Long-Nose-kun. They hurt Auntie Kaya and I want to fight" Belle said as Kaisetsu unsheathed her sword.

"You two don't need to handle these guys," Usopp said, "It will take no longer than five seconds for me to finish them off."

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" Kaisetsu said, "Besides, this is our chance to finally show you how much we've improved since we last met."

"And you also need to get Auntie Kaya to a safe place," Belle said as she gave him an assuring smile, "Don't worry, Uncle Usopp, we're here to keep everyone safe."

"...Alright then, but don't let your guard down." Usopp said as he kept a tight grip on Kaya, "Hold onto me tightly, Kaya."

Kaya did as Usopp said and held onto him tightly, "O-okay…"

Usopp then threw a seed into the sea which quickly grew into a plan that made a path from the ship towards the other side of the ravine.

Belle and Kaisetsu kept their eyes on King Kong and Rishu as Usopp took Kaya to safety.

"Belle, you take the overgrown ape-man. The creep with the nasally voice is all mine" Kaisetsu said.

Belle smirked as she cracked her knuckles ready to go. "Works for me. Let's see who can finish off their creep first?" she challenged.

Kaisetsu cracked a grin that could almost rival her father's. "You're on, captain."

"You refer to her as a captain, then that means you both are pirates, yes?" King Kong asked.

"That's right, Monkey Man," Belle said, "My name is Monkey D. Belle and this is my best-mate, Kaisetsu."

"Roranoa Kaisetsu," Kaisetsu corrected, "And it's actually first-mate, not best-mate."

"Awww, but I like calling you best-mate, Kai." Belle whined. "And I thought you liked it when I called you that."

"I do but not in front of our enemies," Kaisetsu said with a sigh, "We can't be taken seriously if you do that."

Rishu was glaring up at the two teenage girls finding them both to be a headache. "You imbeciles, you're in the presence of King Kong himself, ruler of all animals that dwell in all the Blues! You will show respect or I'll rip your hearts out!"

"Geez, take a chill pill, will you?" Kaisetsu asked, "It's not like he has a problem with it or anything."

"Yeah, you're the one throwing a tantrum over our little talk in front of your king," Belle said.

"They are right, Rishu," King Kong said, "You should tone down the whole respect the king thing a bit."

"You too, my lord?!" Rishu asked in shock.

" ***Ehem*** Putting all the joking aside, you've done well to outclass my pirate crew, Ms. Monkey D. Belle," King Kong said, "This is the first time we've ever encountered each other and I must say that I cannot take you seriously."

"Yeah I get that a lot," Belle said.

"...However…" King Kong said as he transformed into his Gorilla form, "Don't think that I'll make the mistake of underestimating you. You've humiliated me by pulling this trickery stunt and I am now a very pissed off gorilla!"

"Trust me, I feel the same way." Belle said, "Kidnapping Auntie Kaya and threatening her village was a grave mistake and I will enjoy punching your teeth in. You ready to show these losers the way off this island, Kai?"

"Ready when you are, Belle," Kaisetsu said with a smirk as she gripped Murasaki.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Usopp had managed to carry Kaya to safety on the other side of the ravine. He felt guilty when he felt Kaya's shaking body as he carried her.

"I'm so sorry I left you alone like that, Kaya…" Usopp said, "I should have known they'd go for you. Even with all this strength I gain from my adventure with Luffy, I still couldn't protect you…"

"No Usopp...it's not your fault," Kaya whispered with tears in her eyes, "It's my fault for being so careless…that's probably why Xavier-"

"No! What happened back then was not your doing, Kaya!" Usopp said to Kaya snapping her out of her depression. "It was no one's fault...Xavier wouldn't be mad at us for what happened...so please let's put this behind us."

"Usopp…" Kaya whispered before she saw something quickly closing in from behind, "Usopp! Behind you!"

Usopp quickly turned around and saw a cybernetic rapid wolf charging at them. Before he could ready his weapon, the wolf was suddenly kicked in the face by Sakuya.

"Gotcha!" Sakuya cheered.

"I don't believe it, the plan actually worked," Ackmor said.

"Ackmor-kun, Sakuya-san," Kaya said.

"See? I knew my plan would work from the beginning, but you all doubted me," Carl said. Yoshino immediately elbowed Carl in the stomach, "O-Oh, sorry Yoshino! Everyone but Yoshino doubted me!"

"You're just as cocky as ever, Carl…" Yoshino said through Momo, "I think most of the credit should go to Minty."

"That too," Carl said as he petted Minty.

"Everyone...thank you so much for saving me," Kaya said as she bowed.

"You can thank us once we hold this line," Ackmor said as he pointed at the mob of angry cybernetic rabid wolves.

"I guess us being here was a signal for them to attack the village," Sakuya said.

"That's fine with me," Yoshino said through Momo, "I'm always in the mood to knock some wolves unconscious."

"Kaya, head to the village and warn everyone on what's happening here," Usopp told Kaya, "If we happen to fail here…"

"You won't fail," Kaya said, "I know you won't because I believe in you."

Usopp couldn't help but smile after hearing the last part. Hearing Kaya believes in him, a known liar throughout the island, was enough to keep him going. He picked up his weapon and stood beside the group as they stared down the mob of rabid cybernetic wolves.

"Only knock them out, but don't kill. You all ready?" Usopp asked.

"Ready!" Everyone shouted as they prepared to face the wolf mob.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, on the Jungle Force Pirates' ship, Belle and Kaisetsu continued the staredown against King Kong and Rishu.

"Whenever you two are ready to get your asses kick just let us know okay?" Kaisetsu taunted.

Rishu growled after hearing the cocky Roronoa girl's statement as he turned into his Medusa spider hybrid form, "We'll see who will be beating who, you little pests! Stunning Thread!" Rishu shouted as he spat out three large globs of spider webs.

Kaisetsu didn't blink as she leapt in slashing through the threads with simple ease. "Those webs are pathetic." she said facing Rishu with a cocky smile. "Let me show you how it's really done."

"Impotent little witch" Rishu growled flexing out his spider pincers. "I'll turn your body into a melting pot of stunning poison to stop that stupid heart of yours!"

"The thing about your spider form is that although you have these powers," Kaisetsu said before she held Murasaki horizontally above her right shoulder, "Ittoryu...Sanjuroku Pound Ho!" She then performed a circular swing that launched an air compressed projectile spiraling towards Rishu.

Rishu quickly jumped out of the way of Kaisetsu's attack but was met in the air by the young swordswoman who kicked him back down to the deck of the ship.

"You may have your Devil Fruit, but that power is nothing compared to the strength that I wield," Kaisetsu said landing in front of him.

Rishu got back up shaking off the daze he was put in by her attack. "You certainly are a mouthy little thing, aren't you? I guess you believe you're entitled to respect and fear because you are the daughter of Roronoa Zoro and Nico Robin? Well, little lamb I do not fear you and I will kill you with my bare hands" Rishu yelled slashing out at Kaisetsu with his red tinted spider pincer.

"I admire your bravery at least," Kaisetsu said as she dodged the pincer jabs.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Belle watched as Kaisetsu leaped into the fight with Rishu making her giggle. "Kai sure hasn't changed any from when we first fought together," she thought fondly.

King Kong who was in his gorilla form snarled at the young captain finding her dismissal of him to be very insulting, "Gorilla knuckle punch!" he yelled punching the mast of his ship Belle was seated on.

Belle wobbled in her seat holding onto the mast tightly. "Hey you stupid ape if you do that you're going to break the mast and hurt your ship!" she yelled at him.

"So what if i break the ship? I can just replace it with a better one. It breaking apart concerns me none!" King Kong roared as he continued to punch the mast of the wild force ship.

Belle eyes narrowed in anger at the lack of care the supposed captain of this crew showed his ship. "A ship is just like a member of your crew! You don't take them for granted!" Belle yelled jumping from the crow's nest to engage Kong in battle. "Dragon's Ice Slash!" She shouted as her right arm transformed into a dragon's claw covered in blue scales. The claws of the arm grew longer and were coated in ice.

King Kong quickly threw a punch to stop the girl's attack before it hit him. He looked into her brown eyes and saw that they changed to bright blue with pupils similar to a cat's but much sharper.

Behind Belle's back were large white-scaled wings. Her skin was covered in the same blue scales as her right arm.

"Ice Dragon Hybrid Form!" Belle shouted.

"You have the powers of a Zoan Devil Fruit too?" King Kong asked in shock as he held back Belle's attack.

"That's true...but my power is different from yours," Belle said, "I have eaten the Mythical Zoan Fruit: Model Ice Dragon. You're about to witness first hand what I am capable of! Tailed Glacier!" She shouted as she coated her dragon tail in ice before and slammed it straight into King Kong's stomach.

"Gah!" King Kong grunted after getting the wind knocked out of him. He skidded back and held his freezing abdomen.

Belle then created an icicle sphere in her hand than began to shine, "Ice Bomb!" She shouted as she threw the icicle sphere towards the gorilla man.

King Kong pounded his fist together causing them to ignite in a crackle of lightning. "Lightning Fist!" he yelled punching the ice ball back towards Belle.

Belle quickly used her wings to shield herself from the ice bomb's explosion which turned the entire ship into an ice field.

"My Gorilla Model Devil Fruit plus my robotic enhancement allow me to manipulate elements as I see fit, little dragon" King Kong boasted showing off his Robotic arm that was sparking with electricity. "With the power of man and animal I will crush you! Thunder Cannon!" He yelled sending out a surge of electricity from his robotic arm towards Belle.

Belle kept her wing shield up to attempt to block yet another attack; however, the thunder cannon was much more damaging on her than her own Ice Bomb. After tanking so much damage from the attack, Belle's wings vanished. "Damnit…" Belle muttered.

"Winged beast are very fragile creatures to electric attacks. You should have known better to take a direct hit from my attack little dragon" King Kong mocked.

"I knew that would damage me a lot," Belle said, "But if I moved out of the way, what of the animals in the room behind me? Didn't you even realize that you were also targeting them when you unleashed your attack?"

King Kong let out a roaring laugh. "You pathetic girl! Why would I care about test subjects that serve me no purpose! Those animals you were guarding are rejects that could not handle the robotic testing. They are kept there for food rations!" He laughed. "Or for my own entertainment I allow them to fight one another to the death!"

Belle's body shook as she listened to the heartless man in front of her, "You...dare call yourself a king?!" She asked as she glared at him with rage-filled eyes, "What kind of ruler treats his subjects like pawns?!"

"A king who know when to cut his loses! What good does having a weak subject do for me in my Kingdom? If they can not protect themselves they take from those who can. They are worthless to me and as such I toss them out like the garbage they are!" King Kong responded.

"Animals are not garbage!" Belle shouted, "I've seen how kind and helpful they can be. They do what they are asked and expect nothing in return. Humanity could learn many things from animals that it is so ignorant to learn for itself! People like you who hurt these innocent creature with your twisted ways have no right over these animals. That's why I am going to kick your ass and set all these animals free!"

King Kong started laughing again. "What gibberish are you spouting off now little dragon? Animals are companions? A ship is a crewmate? What rock were you born under to believe such trivial nonsense! In this day and age only the strong survive! Believing all creatures are equal is what get the weak hearted killed. You're a weak hearted girl and because you are weak you will lead people you care about to their death! They have no future with you!"

Belle froze up at the mention of leading someone to death. Her pulse was starting to race and sadden expression took over her face as an image of a bloody wolf cub and a raven haired girl flashed into her mind. "Wolfie...Merry..." She thought sadly as she closed her eyes to block off the painful memories.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _14 years ago in the mountains of the Goa Kingdom you could find two small girls running through the dense forest chasing after a gray wolf cub._

 _"Wolfie! Slow down!" Yelled a five year old Belle who was laughing at the antics of the little wolf._

 _"If he slows down he knows he's going to get bopped for chewing on my sword!" A six year old Kaisetsu yelled waving an angry fist at the wolf cub._

 _The five-year-old Belle wore a petal-pink sundress with her orange hair put up in curly pigtails with matching petal-pink sandals._

 _The six-year-old wore a moss green blouse with khaki shorts with brown sandals with her raven-black hair pulled up in a high ponytail._

 _The two girls have been chasing the wolf cub they named Wolfie through the forest for only a few minutes until they finally managed to catch it._

 _Kaisetsu did what she planned to do and began scolding Wolfie, "Wolfie, my family's practice swords are not chew toys. How many times must I say that to you?"_

 _"Rawr arf (But it looks like a stick sissy)" Wolfie barked giving her his best sad puppy look._

 _"Aww Kai he's so cute! Can't you forgive him?" Belle said nuzzling Wolfie._

 _Kaisetsu let out a sigh as she looked at the chewed up practice sword, "Dad's going to kill me…" She muttered as she looked at Belle who was still nuzzling the wolf cub._

 _"Uncle Zoro won't be too upset at you when we bring back the hide of that boar king" Belle said excitedly._

 _"Belle, are you sure this is even a good idea?" Kaisetsu asked, "I know that the idea of taking down a boar king sounds awesome, but they might get mad that we put ourselves in danger."_

 _"My daddy took out a giant tiger when he was seven and my uncles were ten. They used to play in this forest all time so they shouldn't be too mad at us" Belle said._

 _"But your mother is an entirely different story…" Kaisetsu said remembering how frightening Nami gets when she's angry._

 _"Shishi no problem. Mama says I'm so much like dad that nothing I do should surprise her!" Belle said cheerfully. "Come on, Kai, don't you want to impress your parents as much as I want to?"_

 _"...You have a point," Kaisetsu said, "Let's hurry up and get this over with before it gets dark."_

 _"Alright, Wolfie, lead the way," Belle said as Wolfie began sniffing and looking for a scent of the boar king._

 _"Wolfie's looking much healthier than when we first met him a few days ago," Kaisetsu said._

 _"Yeah, I still don't know why his own mother would abandon him…" Belle said._

 _"He was the runt of the litter sadly. Most wolf packs don't mean to leave anyone behind so when Wolfie got hurt they left him planning to come back for him, but something may have happened to the pack. Wolves are loyal to a fault so they never abandoned one of their own" Kaisetsu tells her._

 _"Wow you sure know a lot, Kai," Belle said._

 _"Well I have been reading a lot of books. I strive to be as smart as my mother," Kaisetsu said._

 _"Auntie Robin really is smart. I like when she reads to us don't you Kai?" Belle said._

 _"Yeah, her bedtime stories are the best." Kaisetsu said, "Hey how about we read a bedtime story to her when we get back."_

 _"Ooh, that would be great," Belle said, "But what story to read to her…"_

 _"Let's tell her about our adventure today, but we make sound like it's all made up" Kaisetsu said. "That way our parents think we created it from our imagination"_

 _"That sounds like a great idea," Belle said, "You sure are good at coming up with ideas."_

 _"Hehe, I try to…" Kaisetsu said._

 _"You think that now that Wolfie's healed up my mom will let me keep him permanently?" Belle said watching the wolf cub sniff the ground hunting down for the boar._

 _"You're parents are kind people, so I'm sure they'll be willing to keep Wolfie," Kaisetsu said._

 _"I hope so. I know mama was worried because he's technically a wild animal and not a domestic one" Belle said butchering the word domestic._

 _"It's pronounced domestic," Kaisetsu corrected her._

 _"Oh…" Belle said with a sheepy grin._

 _Wolfie sat up letting out a bark as he rushed forward._

 _Belle and Kaisetsu took up the kitchen knives they smuggled from the kitchen of Belle's house as they followed after the wolf pup. Together the three stop before a clearing where they see the boar sharpening its tucks on a tree._

 _"Belle that boars a lot bigger than most boars" Kaisetsu said getting a little nervous now._

 _"That's the king of the boars he supposed to be big" Belle tells her. "You know it's weak spots right?"_

 _"Under the neck, its belly and the eyes" Kaisetsu tells her. "We got to be careful though those tusks can rip us apart if we get snagged by them."_

 _"Right. So one of us needs to be the distraction. I volunteer for that. You're better with a knife cuz it's like a small sword," Belle said._

 _"Are you sure?" Kaisetsu asked, "You're not a really fast person and you tend to run out of breath really fast when running."_

 _"Don't worry, that's enough time for you to come in for the kill." Belle said. "If I get into a bind, I'll just climb up a tree."_

 _"Alright, but be careful…" Kaisetsu said._

 _"Arf! Arf! (Yes listen to sissy. I'll come in to help if i have too)" Wolfie barked._

 _"You stay right here, Wolfie," Belle said, "It's going to be very dangerous fighting that boar head-on."_

 _Wolfie whined a bit in sadness as he sat down._

 _"Good boy~!" Belle said as she looked at Kaisetsu, "Let's go, Kai!"_

 _"Okay," Kaisetsu said as she and Belle left Wolfie in the bushes._

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _Belle slowly and stealthly approached the boar from behind. The boar had not noticed her yet until it picked up her scent when she was close._

 _Right when it was about to turn around, Belle jumped out from under the grass, "Heeellooo dinner!" She shouted as she landed a knife strike onto the boar's right eye._

 _The boar howled in pain shaking his head furiously back and forth to ward off the pain. When it regained its baring it glared at Belle with the intent to kill. Letting out a thundering squeal it charged after Belle._

 _Belle screamed as she took off running away from the boar not wanting to become a shishkabob. "Ahhhhhh! Kai save me!" she screamed feeling the boar closing in on her._

 _Kaisetsu was ready to move to save Belle, but her feet were frozen. The young six year was frozen in terror. "I...I can't move..." she thought as her body started shaking uncontrollably._

 _Belle ran to the closest tree and climbed up it as fast as she could while the king boar charged head first into the trunk causing the tree to shake wildly. Belle grabbed onto the tree as tightly as she could feeling tears of fear well up in her eyes. "This really was a bad idea... Mama, Papa, Merry help me!" she thought as the boar rammed into the tree again._

 _Kaisetsu who was still rooted to her spot didn't know what to do she was so scared, but she was more afraid of losing Belle. "What do I do?!" she thought fighting back her own tears._

 _Before the girls could do anything Wolfie let out a loud howl as the little wolf cub charge at the boar with his lips drawn back showing off his sharp teeth. The young cub took a flying leap at the boar burying his fangs into the boar's ear refusing to let go._

 _The king boar howled in pain as he slammed Wolfie into the ground trying to dislodge the young pup. Wolfie refused to let go only biting harder into the boar's flesh._

 _"WOLFIE NO!" Belle and Kaisetsu yelled fearing for the young wolf's life as they watched the boar finally shake him off slamming him into a nearby boulder._

 _Wolfie whined in pain from the impact, but slowly got back to his feet challenging the boar in order to protect his humans. The boar stomped his feet bleeding from his ear and eye rearing his head back he charged right for the wolf cub._

 _"No Wolfie! Move get out of there!" Belle cried from the top of the tree._

 _Wolfie ignored her cry and howled as he charged at the boar unleashing his claws as he performed another flying leap at the boar slashing the beast across his throat, but sadly the boar's tusk tore into Wolfie's underbelly slicing him open from neck to belly._

 _Wolfie fell to the ground after his attack with a thump as blood began to pour out of his body. The gleam in the young pups eye faded as the small creature drew its last breath._

 _Belle from up in the tree watched as Wolfie fell to the ground and she cried out in agony as she saw the little wolf pup no longer breathing. "WOLFIE!"_

 _Kaisetsu was crying too watching what Wolfie did made her feel so ashamed of herself. She was blaming herself for Wolfie dying to protect Belle when she should have been strong enough to stop the boar. "I'm so sorry Wolfie!"_

 _The boar king however was not dead Wolfie's attack was not deep enough to kill the beast. Taking pleasure in its kill, the boar hovered over Wolfie's body preparing to stomp on him._

 _"DON'T YOU DARE! LEAVE WOLFIE ALONE!" Belle screamed from the tree top letting shock wave out that hit the boar head on causing him to stumble._

 _Kaisetsu with tears in her eyes charge at the stunned boar stabbing her knife into the slash Wolfie made digging it in deep as she slashed the beast throat wide open. Blood oozed from the wound causing the boar to fall over failing and gasping for breath before dying._

 _Kaisetsu stood over the boar panting with breath as she held the blood knife in her shaking hand. A loud thump was heard to her left and she turned to see Belle laying face first at the bottom of the tree before she got up and ran to Wolfie's side._

 _Belle kneeled beside Wolfie and gently picked up the wolf pup. "Wolfie... come on little guy wake up... You helped us beat the boar king you have to wake up so we can tell mama, papa, Merry auntie, Morg and Uncle about how brave you were," she said softly stroking the pups cooling fur._

 _Kaisetsu kneeled behind Belle hugging her friend as she looked at the dead pup in her arms. "Belle...Wolfie's not going to wake up..." she said choking up trying to fight back her sobs._

 _"NO!" Belle screamed in denial, "He's going to wake up and we're going to go back home…*sob* and...and tell everyone that *sob* w-we were brave...and…"_

 _"BELLE HE'S GONE!" Kaisetsu cried hugging her friend tighter. "He's gone Bell *sob* he died protecting us... He's our hero" she said softly petting Wolfie's head._

 _"...What have I done…?" Belle whispered, "This is all my fault...i-if I didn't come up with this stupid plan...Wolfie would still be alive."_

 _Kaisetsu shook her head. "It's not all you're fault. If i didn't freeze up i could have take the boar out, but i didn't and you could have been killed! Wolfie did what I couldn't do and I'm so sorry Belle!" She cried turning Belle to face her. "But I promise you I will never freeze up in battle again! I'm going to train harder than I've ever trained before so no matter what situation we find ourselves in you can believe that I have your back a hundred and ten thousand percent! That is my word and my oath from me to you!"_

 _"Kai…" Belle whimpered as she buried her face in Kaisetsu's chest, "I promise too...I'll learn to never be this stupid again! I don't want anyone else I love to get killed because of me. That is my word and my oath from me to you!"_

 _Kaisetsu let her friend cry on her as she returned the hug and softly rubbed her back. She looked back at Wolfie's dead corpse and smiled._

 _"Thank you, Wolfie. We'll never forget your bravery and sacrifice. That's our oath from us to you!"_

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"..." Belle slowly took one step back and then breathed in deeply. She opened her blue eyes and gave King Kong and ice-cold glare. "So you say that I will lead people to their deaths, King Kong? You think I already don't know that? I've already lost two important people because I just wanted attention on myself. That's why...until the end of my journey, only I, the captain, will be the first one to die on my pirate crew!"

"Your such a nonsense-speaking Child! A captain has their underlings there for them to cast away as pawns. Crew mates should mean nothing to you except as a means to get further ahead then you're enemies. You crush the weak so only you are left standing at the top feared by all" King Kong yelled. "It's because of your naive heart I will emerge victorious!"

"Well then, how about I show you the bond between my first-mate and I," Belle said, "Kai!" She shouted to Kaisetsu.

"Yeah?" Kaisetsu asked blocking off Rishu attack.

"Let's use...it," Belle said.

Kaisetsu's eyes widen before grinning excitedly. "With pleasure captain!" she shouted kicking Rishu in the face and jumping to Belle's side.

Afterwards, she took out her Bankerite gem and coated her Murasaki in ice. "You know what's going to happen if I use the Bankerite gem like this, right?"

"Yeah, but of few months without power to the gem is worth showing these assholes just how amazing of a first-mate you are," Belle said. "And how irreplaceable you are to me."

"Alright….but you owe me one," Kaisetsu said.

"Fine with me," Belle said before she grabbed Murasaki by the blade.

"What are they doing?" King Kong asked.

"Whatever it is, they won't get the chance to do it!" Rishu shouted as he charged at the currently defenseless girls.

"Big mistake," Belle said as Murasaki began to grow colder and colder until the very air around it took the shape of a wolf.

"TAKE THIS!" They both shouted, "HOWL OF THE SUBZERO WOLF!" With full strength, the wind around them turned into a subzero breeze that froze even the sea itself. The wind took the shape of a wolf as it engulfed Rishu freezing him solid.

King Kong's eyes widen in horror in witnessing the large wolf. He tried to block it, but his arms quickly froze along with his body, "Th-This...can't BE!" He screamed before his whole body was frozen solid.

Belle and Kaisetsu stepped towards Rishu and King Kong. "It can be and it is... When you don't respect those who support you!" Belle said before she fistbumped with Kaisetsu.

Kaisetsu took a look at her Bankerite gem, which was no longer glowing it's blue color and sighed, "All of that...wasted on an ape."

"Ah don't let it get to you, Kai," Belle said shoulder-hugging Kaisetsu, "It'll come back when we'll need it the most, I'm sure of it."

"If you say so." Kaisetsu said, "Now let's find a way to clean up this whole mess."

"Hmm...maybe there's a switch to stop those cybernetic dogs somewhere…" Belle said. "Let's go look~!" She said as she and Kaisetsu went into the ship.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Usopp and the group were now freezing after Belle and Kaisetsu's attack which managed to freeze all the cybernetic rabid wolves.

"D-d-d-didn't expect them t-t-to do th-th-that!" Yoshino said through Momo.

"Th-those two r-r-r-really have i-i-i-improved," Usopp shivered.

"Y-Yoshino-k-k-k-kun, d-d-do you n-n-need me to warm you up w-w-with my b-b-body?!" Sakuya asked while blushing and shaking.

"Th-th-that w-w-won't be n-n-necessary…" Yoshino said through Momo.

 **"Sakuya's a weird girl,"** Momo said.

"Sh-She's n-n-n-ot the only person y-y-you should be worried about," Carl said as he pointed to Ackmor, who was not at all phased by the cold.

"Wow!" He shouted as he tapped on the frozen wolves, "Is this what happens when you get too cold?!" He asked with an excited tone as he looked at the sea, "And look at that! Can you walk onto the sea now?! I never knew the cold could do something this amazing!"

"H-He s-s-sure is an excited one…" Yoshino said through Momo. "But at least all this was over…"

"Now no one is going to bother you again, Yoshino-kun," Sakuya said. "Isn't that great? Now we can enjoy each other's company without anyone interrupting us."

"Um...S-Sakuya! Don't say it like that in front of people!" Yoshino said through Momo with embarrassment written on his face.

 **"Momo doesn't like the crazy siren. Sakuya is weird and Momo is here ya know!"** Momo said.

"I can put a sock in you. That way you won't be noticed" Sakuya said huffing at the demon bear.

"U-um…" Yoshino didn't like where this relationship between Momo and Sakuya were going.

"So are you going to say something, Yoshino?" Carl asked.

"I-I'm trying…" Yoshino said through Momo.

 **"Momo is the voice to Yoshino! If you mute Momo then you mute Yoshino. Stupid!"** Momo yelled.

"Who are you calling stupid you little puppet cub?!" Sakuya shouted angrily at the bear.

Momo growled trying to slash Sakuya in the face, but Yoshino held him back. **"MOMO WILL CLAW YOUR EYES OUT AND EAT THEM!"**

Sakuya was a few feet away from Momo taunting him. "Stupid puppet cub~ Stupid puppet cub~ Come get me if you can!" She said sticking her tongue out at him.

Momo anger burst at out igniting him into a raging fireball clawing the air towards Sakuya. **"MOMO WILL EAT YOUR SOUL! YOSHINO RELEASE MOMO SO THAT MOMO CAN KILL THAT SIREN BITCH!"**

"Carl help me!" Yoshino pleaded to his friend through Momo not wanting Momo to kill Sakuya and wanting this act to stop.

Carl put his hands up in surrender. "There is no way I'm getting involved in this. Sorry dude you're on you're own" he said stepping back with Minty.

"Brrr! It's freezing out here," Belle shouted after she and Kaisetsu got finished freeing the animals.

"Guess we should have brought coats or something…" Kaisetsu said.

Belle noticed that Ackmor was still curiously looking at the frozen wolves so she slowly crept up behind him, "Acky~! What are you doing?"

"Ah!" Ackmor jumped from being frightened by Belle's sudden approach, "B-Belle, don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Aww...are you worried for the wolfies?" Belle asked

"Yea... I mean won't they freeze to death?" Ackmor asked.

"Nope, the Howl of the Sub Zero Wolf doesn't freeze people to death," Belle said, "It freezes them in place. I only want to use it when we're overwhelmed or something. Besides...I love that move. It's the first duel attack Kaisetsu and I came up with."

"Huh...you and Kaisetsu sure have a lot of trust in each other," Ackmor said. "Why is that?"

"...Because we both understand each other's pain and loss…" Belle said.

"What do you mean?" Ackmor asked.

Belle smile and gave him a hug. "It's a story for another day Acky~ Besides that last attack took a lot out of me *yawn* I going to sleep now" she said falling asleep on Ackmor after she finished her sentence.

"What the hell? How do you fall asleep that fast?!" Ackmor yelled trying to shake Belle off him, but she didn't budge. After a few long seconds, Ackmor sighed and let her sleep on him. "What a pain" he sighed scratching his head.

Kaisetsu let out a yawn to feeling sleep coming over her. She felt herself being lifted up and peeked her drooping eyes to see Carl was the one carrying her.

"I'll help you back to the mansion. Get a good rest okay?" Carl tells her.

Kaisetsu yawned again before giving him a nod of thanks as she drifted off to sleep.

Usopp helped Kaya to her feet noticing how cold she was, "You too? We really should have brought coats out. Are you hurt anywhere, Kaya?"

Kaya's breathing returned to normal as she smiled, "I'm okay, thanks to you, honey."

"Don't thank me, Belle and her friends did most of the work," Usopp admitted.

"What? You're not going to claim all the credit?" Kaya asked.

"Why should I?" Usopp said, "They saved you and our home with their bravery. Now that I think of it...a certain rubber idiot and his friends did the same thing for us, didn't he?"

Kaya laughed as she laid her head on his chest. "Yes, I do recall that, but I remember a brave warrior of the sea saving me the most,, " she said kissing his cheek before returning to his chest.

Usopp smiled at the mention of his title and took a glance at Ackmor who was carrying the sleeping Belle, "I can't say for sure if she is ready for what lies ahead, but I at least know that she won't sway from whatever goal she has in mind."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

The very next day, Sakuya and Kaya had prepared a full course meal for everyone.

"Dinner is served!" Sakuya said, "Courtesy of your favorite siren, Sakuya~!"

"Woooow!" Belle screamed as her mouth watered at the sight of the roasted chicken ham. "Please tell me that chicken and ham are all for me!"

"No they are not, Belle," Kaya said, "They are for everyone on this table."

"Awww~! But I'm so hungry!" Belle whined.

"You need to learn to eat in slices instead of wolfing down everything," Ackmor said, "Make one move towards the chicken and ham and it'll be your last."

"Fine…" Belle said with a pout as she crossed her arms.

"Even though you promised not to act like a total idiot, you're still the same child I grew up with, Belle," Kaisetsu said.

"When did she ever promise that? I can't imagine Belle being anyway other than the goofball she is" Ackmor from his seat stretching out his prosthetic arm. "Mr. Usopp can you really build me a new arm?"

"Yep I just need till tomorrow to patch it up, but when I'm done with it you'll be good as new" Usopp assured him.

"That's great, thank you," Ackmor said.

"Man I still can't get over the fact that you are an android, Acky!" Belle said in excitement, "How cruel of you to keep that secret from me."

"It's not my fault. I have no memories, remember?" Ackmor asked.

"Oh that reminds me, I still need to do that memory test for you, Ackmor-kun," Kaya said.

"Oh yes," Ackmor said, "I have recovered something from my memories. A man with a tattoo on his back."

"A man with a tattoo on his back?" Kaya asked, "I don't think I know anyone like that."

"Do you know what the tattoo looks like, Ackmor-kun?" Sakuya asked.

Ackmor took a few seconds to try and recall the appearance of the tattoo but only drew a blank, "No...it's all a blur in my mind."

"Well at least we know we're on the right track," Belle said, "We'll get your memories back before you know it!"

"Yeah," Ackmor said with an assured smile.

"Now I say before we begin eating that we propose a toast to the man who came up with the plan to rescue my wife," Usopp said grabbing a glass of wine.

"Oh no sir," Carl said feeling modest, "I was only doing what I knew was right."

"Carl, you not only betrayed your own cr but put yourself in harm's way to rescue my wife," Usopp said, "I should apologize for being so suspicious of you."

"Yeah! Kitty guy was a cool guy after all, plus he's a good friend of Yoshi!" Belle said holding up a glass.

Carl looked at Yoshino who only smiled and held up a glass too.

"Cheers to Carl! And to a victory well earned!" Usopp said raising his glass high. "Kampai!"

"KAMPAI!" Everyone shouted together as dinner was soon underway with cheers and laughter filling the dining room walls.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

After the party, Sakuya had finished washing the dirty dishes and was about to head to her room to sleep.

"*yawn* Man I can't believe Belle ate 10 plates of ham…" Sakuya said to herself, "But at least Yoshino-kun ate my delicious rice bean sprouts with delight" she said flushing with happiness as she skipped down the hall to her room.

"You're still not coming back?" Carl's voice rang through the hallway which made the siren stop in her tracks.

"I'm sorry Carl, I know you worked hard to find me...but…" Momo's voice was heard which meant that Yoshino was talking to Carl.

"Huh?" Sakuya backed up a bit and peeked into a barely opened room to see Yoshino talking to Carl.

"Yoshino, if you just went back with me and explain yourself, everyone will let it drop," Carl said.

"That's the thing Carl...I shouldn't have to explain myself! It was my mother who was murdered and everyone assumed I did it!" Yoshino yelled through Momo. "There is no forgiving those hateful and vile words they said to me that day."

Carl looked down in shame. "No, they would forgive you because they need you right now."

"To what? Hunt for them again? I'm done with that!" Yoshino said, "The only thing I care about now is killing the person who really murdered my mother and the man who slashed my throat. Besides I'm not asking for forgiveness I shouldn't even have to earn. Why was it that only you and Old Man Hayu believed me?!"

"I understand why you're so mad...but..." Carl said.

"You have no idea what I'm feeling! I watched my mother sacrifice herself to save me before my very eyes after I had my very own voice stolen from me! Then I had the same villagers who I grew up with me and watched me grow to accuse me of murdering my family! Tell me, Carl, how can you possibly know what that feels like!" Yoshino yelled at him through Momo with his brown eyes ablaze with anger and betrayal.

"...I don't and I'm sorry for saying that to you." Carl said before bending down on his knees and bowing before Yoshino. "But I have to beg you as my friend to come home...Lives are endangered, Yoshino! You're the only one I can turn to because I couldn't protect anyone on my own... These monsters... They have Sonya..." he voice broke on the name as he began to cry at his friend's feet.

Yoshino's eyes widen in shock, "What?" He asked through Momo before he began shaking Carl violently, "What monsters?! What's happened to Sonya?! What's happened while I was away."

"...It was three years after you left." Carl began to explain, "A pirate crew came to Aroma Island. At first, they said they were seeking asylum on our island, but it was a lie. Their captain, who named herself Marie Claude has been hypnotizing everyone. Yoshino...she murdered Old Man Hayo!"

Yoshino's body went rigid as he balled his fist up and began to shake. "How dare she... HOW DARE SHE KILL OLD MAN HAYO!"

"Yoshino...I know you don't want to hear this...but the worse part is that the pirate crew is made up of Sirens," Carl said.

Sakuya gasped loudly getting the attention of both Yoshino and Carl.

"Sakuya?" Yoshino asked through Momo, "What are you doing up so late?"

 **"Seriously Yoshino? Yoshino finds out that the stupid siren is eavesdropping and you asks why she is up so late? Are you whipped or something?"** Momo asked.

"Excuse me for worrying about her health!" Yoshino shouted through Momo at Momo.

Sakuya looked down as she slowly approached Yoshino, "I'm sorry...but...I couldn't help but overhear."

"It's fine, Sakuya…" Yoshino said through Momo, "Next time just let me know you're hearing me, before you surprise me like that."

"Okay...but...is it true?" Sakuya asked, "You lost your mother?"

Yoshino looked at Carl before he replied, "Yes...not a day goes by that I don't think of her...or my little sister."

Sakuya eyes teared up as she hugs him. "Yoshino-kun I'm so sorry..." she said shaking in his arms.

"Don't be." Yoshino said through Momo as he returned the hug, "It was my own weakness that caused their deaths."

"Yoshino-kun is not weak! Yoshino-kun is strong because he fights through his heartache to avenge his loved ones. If that is a weakness then I don't care what being strong is!" Sakuya said honestly looking into Yoshino's amber eyes with honest purple irises.

"Sakuya…" Yoshino said surprised at the siren's dedication.

"If I may interrupt, I'm sure you've heard me talk about the siren pirate crew and I'm sure you understand why I am so suspicious of you, siren." Carl said.

"Yes I did, but-"

"Carl! Sakuya has nothing to do with them!" Yoshino yelled through Momo interrupting Sakuya.

"Yoshino-kun is right. I was abandoned as an infant and was adopted by Father Sanji and Mother Violet. I never grew up with any other sirens." Sakuya explained. "The only thing I can remember about another siren is _My River Lullaby_ song."

"That alone isn't enough to clear you of suspicion," Carl said coldly, "For all we know you could be a spy for those siren pirates."

Yoshino growled as he pointed at Carl, "Call her that again and you won't get anything from me!"

"Why are you defending her?!" Carl asked.

"Because I trust her!" Yoshino replied through Momo.

Sakuya grabbed Yoshino's arm and signaled for him to calm down. "Yoshino-kun, Carl-kun is upset and angry at me because I'm a siren. Sirens have the woman he loves held hostage. No man will trust someone when the person they love is in danger" she tells him before facing Carl. "I will not ask you to trust me Carl-kun, but I do offer you my help in anyway I can offer it. I wish to help you save your love."

Carl looked torn not knowing what to believe. He knew he needed Yoshino's help, but working with the siren made his skin crawl as he remember what sirens have done to his home. Sighing he turned to face her. "I can't say I fully trust you not after seeing what you're race is capable of...but it would be unfair for me to judge you alone based on others. I'm sorry."

Sakuya smiled at him holding out her hand to him. "No need to apologize Carl-kun. I, the princess of saving handsome men, will do all that I can to reunite you with your love Sonya!"

"...Wait...what?" Yoshino asked through Momo. "Love? Sonya? What are you talking about?!"

Carl scratched the back of his head, "Sonya...is now my fiance…"

"...Wwwwwwwhaaaat?!" Yoshino asked through Momo in complete shock.

"Yeah, a lot of things have changed, Yoshino," Carl said.

 **"Wow you're really slow on the uptake. Even Momo figured that out"** Momo said.

"Yoshino, will you help me save her and the village?" Carl asked.

Yoshino took some time to think about everything he was told, "I'm not going to do it for the village, or the people, or for forgiveness. I'm going to do it because it's where the people I loved died. My mother and my sister...Carl, you're not going to get just me, you're going to get Belle and her friends as well."

"Even Belle? Is that even necessary, Yoshino-kun?" Sakuya asked.

"Yes, it definitely is. I've seen what those sirens are capable of and they are extremely dangerous," Carl said, "After what I've seen from that girl and her friends, we'll need that kind of firepower to even hope to defeat those sirens."

"That's right," Yoshino said through Momo as he looked at his Fujin Yumi, "...I still can't believe Old Man Hayu was murdered. Probably because he would end up being a thorn in the siren leader's side."

"Who is this Old Man Hayu?" Sakuya asked.

"The original owner of my bow, the Fujin Yumi." Yoshino said through Momo, "He taught me everything. Archery, how to use the Fujin Yumi's power, and one other secret. He was the father I never had...you can hurt me, you can accuse me of murder, you can even take my voice away...but the second you hurt my family, you signed your death sentence!"

"Then that's all the more reason for us to go! This siren bitch killed my future father-in-law and now she has to pay!" Sakuya said.

"But first things first…" Yoshino said, "I'm going to ask Belle if I can join her crew!"

"You're going to what?" Carl asked.

"You are, Yoshino-kun?!" Sakuya asked in delight.

"But on one condition…." Yoshino said through Momo.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

The conversation continued the next day in the lounge this time Yoshino was talking to Belle who was eating breakfast.

"...You help me kick the siren pirates out of Aroma Island! What do you say?!" Yoshino asked through Momo.

Belle thought about it for moment slurping up her food. "Sure! These sirens hurt your father Yoshi, so I'll gladly help you, but you have to join my crew Yoshi!"

"Um...yeah, that was what I was proposing," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Yosh then it's a deal! Besides you were already a member of the crew you just didn't know at the time Shishi just wanted you to admit to yourself before I dragged you out to sea~"

"Oh boy...you don't know what you've gotten yourself into, puppet boy," Kaisetsu said as she shook her head.

"Should I be scared?" Yoshino asked Ackmor through Momo.

"Terrified," Ackmor replied.

"You're joining too, aren't you Sakuya?" Belle asked.

"You have to ask?" Sakuya asked as she hugged Yoshino, "I'd do anything to be near my lovely princes!"

"You know you could just hug Ackmor or something…" Yoshino said through Momo pointing out the fact that Sakuya's been more flirtatious with him than Ackmor.

Sakuya giggled as she rubbed her cheek against his. "If I did that I make the captain very mad with me, " she said softly going unheard by the android and captain.

"Good morning everyone, I hope you had a good sleep," Kaya said as she came into the lounge with breakfast.

"Yeah, we did!" Belle said, "Hey, Auntie Kaya, about that present Long Nose promised us! What is it?!"

"Patience dear," Kaya said setting down the breakfast, "Usopp has your present ready and waiting for you. All you need to do is wait until he comes back."

"I must thank you for everything you and your husband have done for me," Ackmor said, "You gave me this new arm and I feel like my memories might come back a lot faster than I expected."

"That's wonderful news, Ackmor-kun," Kaya said, "I hope you get your memories soon."

"Again, thank you for everything," Ackmor said.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Carl asked.

"Not yet, we have to wait for Long-Nose's surprise," Belle said. "I wish he would just tell us what it is!"

"If I told you then it wouldn't be a surprise Belle," Usopp said stepping inside the room with a self-satisfied grin on his face. "I mean a certain someone's birthday comes around only once a year so I thought I give you the best 20th birthday present around."

"Oh my birthday! I forgot about that," Belle said.

"What's a birthday?" Ackmor asked.

"It's when someone turns a year older." Kaya said, "Take Belle for instance. Yesterday, she was 19 years old, but today a full year passed for her and she is now 20 years old. One more year and you're legal to drink in a bar."

"Ew! I don't like booze!" Belle shouted in disgust. "Can't Kai drink them instead?"

"I'm 20 too, Belle and my birthday is not until 6 months," Kaisetsu said.

"Mine's not till 3," Yoshino said through Momo.

"And mine's was last month," Sakuya said.

"I see...that leaves just me," Ackmor said, "But without my memories."

"Oh don't worry, Acky! Your birthday can be on the day I found you. April 23," Belle said.

"Well, you did give him a new name that day so it's technically like the day you were born so if you want that day to symbol your birthday you can until your memories return," Kaya explained to him.

"April 23…" Ackmor said as he smiled.

"Anyways, let's hurry up and finish breakfast so I can show you all Belle's birthday gift," Usopp said. "Oh and before I forget when I give you my gift I got a couple more to show you afterward."

"You heard Long-Nose everyone dig in!" Belle shouted joyously as she began to eat all of her food including everyone else's.

"B-Belle! Stop eating everyone else's food!" Ackmor shouted.

"But if I eat everything we can get the surprises faster," Belle said.

"Well, we've got to eat too you dolt!" Yoshino shouted through Momo.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Ahhh...that was an amazing breakfast…" Belle said with glee.

Everyone else; however, did not feel the same glee as the girl.

"Feel that feeling of hunger, Yoshino?" Kaisetsu asked, "You better get used to it…"

"She took half of my breakfast…" Yoshino said through Momo with crocodile tears.

 **"Momo wants to strangle her so bad now!"** Momo shouted angrily.

"Don't worry, I have bento boxes fixed for us. They were survivor rations in case Belle went crazy" Sakuya said handing everyone a bento box.

"Wow, you thought of everything Sakuya," Yoshino said through Momo.

Sakuya blushed as she squealed happily inside her mind as she trilled away humming a song in glee. "My prince Yoshino-kun admires me!"

"She sure seems happy," Yoshino said through Momo.

Carl shook his head, "Is he dense or was he hit on his head?"

 **"Momo believes the answer is both"** Momo said.

"Alright, now that everyone is done eating, it's time for the surprise," Usopp said as he stood up, "Now come follow me."

"Where are we going?" Ackmor asked.

"Somewhere," Usopp said as turns to leave the mansion, "Hurry up now."

"You heard him. Let's go!" Belle cheered running after Usopp.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

As the group followed Usopp, they realized that they were heading towards the beach shore.

"Wait, why are we going to the beach shore?" Ackmor asked.

"Teehee, we're almost there~!" Kaya chimed.

"God! I hate all this stupid suspense! Just show us the damn surprise already!" Belle screamed.

That was when Usopp and Kaya stopped, "Okay," Usopp said, "Here it is!"

Belle and the gang caught eyes on a creation sitting out on the shores of the Gecko Islands. It was a large white wooden ship with a single mast, three cannon holes on both sides, a single canon hole on the back and front. On the sides, you could see blue painted rails, with nets stretching out towards a large crow's nest that looked like a secluded room. On the top deck, you could see grass and a few trees that indicated a garden could be fixed there. The main attraction that caught the crew's eyes was at the front of the ship. At the front of the ship was a carving of a white and blue dragon with its wings covering the rails around it. The eyes held a blank marble like stones that gleamed with an unusual aura.

The reactions of the group were unanimous with widen eyes and dropped jaws.

"Is..Is..Is..." Belle gasped out unable to speak as she pointed to the ship looking at Usopp and Kaya.

Husband and Wife smiled at each other before turning to Belle with matching smiles. "Happy Birthday Belle! Hope you enjoy you're brand new pirate ship" they said together.

Belle could do nothing but scream with delight as she hugged Usopp and Kaya, "OH AUNTIE KAYA...LONG-NOSE! THIS IS THE BEST GIFT EVER!"

"We're glad you like it. Now we're not the only one to thank for this. Your Uncle Franky is the one who built and designed the ship for you. You're Auntie Kaya and me pitched in the money to build it as well as stock it with the essentials you'll need. I may have also pitched in with the construction of the ship and painted your sail for you" Usopp said giving Franky his credit for the birthday gift. "So when you run into Franky make sure you give him proper thanks and take care of your ship."

"Um Usopp, Belle's already on the ship," Ackmor said pointing at the fangirling Belle.

"Oh the wooden floor feels fantastic!" Belle squealed.

"HEY! AT LEAST LISTEN TO ME!" Usopp shouted angrily.

"Don't worry, I'll tell her everything you need to say about the ship," Ackmor said.

"You're a good lad son. I pray you don't lose your sanity on your adventure." Usopp said patting the android boy on the back.

"So what is the wood on this ship made of exactly?" Ackmor said as he touched the wood on the ship.

"That is Redwood. The hardest wood in the whole world," Usopp explained, "It'll take years before rocks, boulders, and even ice glaciers can chip the wood on this baby, BUT there is one thing you must remember! Do not expose the ship to high temperature or it will set on fire."

"It will?" Ackmor asked.

"Redwood may be the toughest wood in the world, but it is also the most flammable wood. So flammable that even the heat of over an estimated 150 degrees would set it on fire." Usopp said, "So be extra careful going through the Grandline. These days, even the temperatures there are changing at an alarming rate in that cursed sea."

"Alright, we'll be extra careful," Ackmor said.

"Hey! This is an awesome seat you made, Long-Nose!" Belle shouted.

"Belle, quit clowning around up there and come listen to what Usopp has to say!" Sakuya shouted.

"But I love it on this seat!" Belle said as she hugged the head of the new ship. "We got ourselves a new friend too!"

Suddenly, the blank marbles of the dragon's eyes began to glow. As the glow faded the blank marbles were now a bright and warm looking orange.

"Whoa…" Belle said amazed by this, "That looks so cool! ...What is it?"

"That it part of the design of the ship that I made up," Usopp said, "Thank goodness it worked, otherwise you're ship would be rather dull. Belle, declare to the ship that you are its captain and give it a name."

"Huh? Um okay…" Belle said. "Hello there, ship! My name is Monkey D. Belle, your new captain! Now a name….hmm...Oh! How about the Overseer Drago!"

After Belle said the name, the eyes on the dragon permanently turned orange.

"Overseer Drago?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Yep! The ever watching Dragon. He'll watch over us always, right Drago?" Belle asked hugging the ship again.

"Now Belle, I want you to ask anyone who you named an official member of your crew, what their favorite color is," Usopp said.

"Um...what are we even doing?" Belle asked.

"Just go along with it. I'll explain in a minute," Usopp said.

"Okay...um...Kai! What's your favorite color?" Belle asked Kaisetsu.

"Purple," Kaisetsu answered.

After Kaisetsu answered, the eyes on the dragon changed from orange to purple.

"Whoa…" Everyone was in complete awe by this.

"This is the new design. The ship, which Belle has now named the Overseer Drago, can now identify Belle and her crewmates so long as Belle sees fit. As long as you say your colors and are official members of Belle's crew," Usopp said before turning to Carl, "Or an authorized visitor, the Drago will not harm you. However, if you are an enemy or a random person boarding the ship, there are self-defense mechanisms awaiting to deal with you. So? Do you like my genius creation?"

"Wow, you really put a lot of thought into this, Long Nose!" Belle said. "I like it!"

"Well, of course, the daughter of my old captain deserved nothing but the best for her journey after all," Usopp said proudly. "Now the rest of you state your favorite colors and position on the crew."

"Purple. First-mate and Swordsman," Kaisetsu said.

"White. Sniper." Yoshino said through Momo.

"Pink. Chef," Sakuya said.

"Black….and uh...position?" Ackmor asked, "I'm not sure I have one yet."

"Navigator. Acky you're our navigator and super cool Android" Belle said laying down on Drago's head now smiling down at her crew.

"And last but not least, have you thought of a name for your pirate crew?" Usopp asked.

"...Uh nope," Belle said, "I've been trying to come up with a name for a long time."

"I have a suggestion for that," Kaisetsu said hopping onto Drago's deck. "Well, I know you don't want to take the name our fathers had and become the second generation of Strawhat pirates so let's make it something special that only this crew will understand," she said facing Belle now. "Why not name ourselves the Oathkeepers?"

"...That. Is. PERFECT!" Belle said, "I've been trying to come up with a name related to oaths but nothing really sticks!"

"Oathkeepers?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Aren't pirate names supposed to, you know, strike fear into the hearts of our enemies?" Sakuya asked.

"Way back when Belle and I were kids, we made an oath to each other. We agreed if we were to walk down the road of piracy we keep an oath to each other and to a friend of ours" Kaisetsu started to explain. "A pirate crew is more than striking fear in the hearts of our enemies it's about the journey and what our journey means to us and the goals we strive to achieve."

"Well, I kinda like the name," Ackmor said, "It really rolls off the tongue quite nicely."

"It's not a terrible name" Yoshio agreed speaking through Momo.

"Well, if my princes like the name so do I!" Sakuya cheered happily.

"Then before we set sail and become official pirate crew we recite our oaths to each other and when we get new crew members we do it again. As Captain I'll go first" Belle said standing on top Drago's head. "As Captain of the Oathkeeper Pirates I, Monkey D. Belle swear, on this oath that I will never let one of my crewmates fall. If I have it my way my life will be the first to go before anyone on this crew. That is my word and my oath from me to you!"

It was now Kaisetsu's turn, "As the First-mate and Swordswoman of the Oathkeeper pirates, I, Roronoa Kaisetsu swear on this oath that I will grow stronger and gain the strength to protect everyone under the Oathkeeper flag. I will be the sharp blade of this crew until the bitter end. That is my word and my oath from me to you."

Ackmor was next, but he really had to think about what kind of oath he was going to make. What oath could he make with not really knowing who he was or what his past held, but when he looked up to see Belle smiling face he knew he never wanted to see it gone. "As the Navigator of the Oathkeeper pirates, I, Ackmor swear on this oath that I will guide this ship to the best to my abilities to wherever our captain sees fit. I will never let the smile she wears disappear. If I regain my memories I vow to stay by her side for as long as the crew will have me. I will be the arrow that points us into the right direction at all times. That is my word and my oath from me to you."

Yoshino was next, but he too had trouble coming up with something, until he remembered what Sakuya put herself through to help him. "I'm not a perfect man. I've made mistakes in the past and still harbor an inner hatred for the people I should forgive...but today, that all ends. As the Sniper of the Oathkeeper pirates, I will strive to become the bow of the captain. My arrow will fly true as will my path to a better life for all of you. That is my word and my oath from me to you."

And finally, Sakuya was next. She was moved by Yoshino's oath, "As the Chef of the Oathkeeper pirates, I will strive to create culinary masterpieces fit for kings and gods. My darling princes shall have my full attention day in and day out with no questions. Other than that, I will treat everyone, human, fishman, siren alike as equals. That is my word and my oath from me to you."

After listening to all the oath speeches the pirates made, Carl was nothing short but shocked, _"There's no way these people are willing to call themselves pirates after those speeches...There's hope yet. Now I feel like I can believe in them to set things right…"_

"Okay, Carl, I've authorized you or whatever it's called so you can come on board," Belle called out.

"Right," Carl said as he boarded the Overseer Drago.

Everyone was now standing on the ship that will soon sail through the Grandline.

"Thank you both for everything," Belle said to Usopp and Kaya, "The ship, the food, the company...everything!"

"We're so glad to see you again, Belle. Please stay safe on your journey!" Kaya said.

"Oh Belle one more thing! In the kitchen you have presents from your parents, aunts and uncles! I know you're dying to set sail so I won't keep you any longer! Make your dreams come true Belle and if you see Nelson out on the sea tell him his mother and I love him and hope to see him soon!" Usopp yelled up to her.

"Yeah, I remember Nelson!" Belle said, "I'll be sure to say hi to him when I see him and hopefully get him to join our crew!" She said before she turned to everyone, "You all ready to go to Aroma Island?"

"Yeah!" Everyone shouted.

"Aroma Island should be three days from here if I'm looking at this map right," Ackmor said.

"Alright, Aroma Island here we go!"

And with that, the Oathkeepers began their journey starting with their destination towards Aroma Island on the Overseer Drago. As Usopp watched the ship sail away, he couldn't help but see an image of the Going Merry and shed a tear.

"Are you okay, honey?" Kaya asked.

"Y-Yeah…" Usopp said with a smile as tears fell down his eyes, "I just hope they all make it back safe."

Kaya smiled as she hugged her husband. "They will. There the children of great pirates who trained them well. They'll be breaking out in the news soon just wait and see" she said hoping her words eases his worries.

"Yeah, they're strong people. Their oaths alone is enough to describe how strong they are," Usopp said, "Good luck, Belle."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Amazing…" Sakuya said as the crew entered the kitchen. "The kitchen looks amazing."

The kitchen itself had plenty of cooking tools, utensils, a large sink, and a working dishwasher.

"Ohh, I can't wait to cook Yoshino-kun an amazing meal," Sakuya said.

"Look at all these gifts!" Belle said hovering over the presents and looking at all the tags, "From Uncle Franky." She said as she as she took out pouches of beris. There was a note attached to the gift.

 _"Happy SUUUUUUUUPPPPPEEERRRRR~ Birthday Belle I hope to see you and the ship soon. Take good care of it or I'll chunk you in the ocean! Love Uncle Franky'_

"5 thousand beris, huh," Belle said, "I guess I have something else to thank that funny cyborg for.

"With that being said I'll hold onto that and put it in the vault down stairs for emergency savings" Ackmor said holding his hand out to her. "Just so we don't have a repeat of meat galore on the next island we come across"

"But Acky~" Belle whined wanting to hold onto the pretty and shiny berries.

"This is for your own good, Belle," Ackmor said, "I'm going to teach you how to properly save on money. That is unless you don't want to eat Sakuya's cooking which should be better than the meat you buy on the market."

"You think she would know how to do that considering Aunt Nami is here mother" Kaisetsu said scratching at her head.

Belle grumbled as she handed over the beris to Ackmor, "Fine…"

Ackmor patted her head. "You did the right thing."

"What else did you get?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Let's see…" Belle said looking into a white bag and pulled out medical supplies and a well stocked first-aid kit, "Oh, this is from Uncle Chopper."

"Yea figures Uncle Chopper would think about our health more than we did...well next to Auntie Kaya that is" Kaisetsu said picking up the card to read since Belle was going through the kit.

 _"Happy birthday Belle! I know you are just starting on your journey so i know a doctor probably isn't on you're list of priorities like Luffy's. Well, I didn't want you to sail out unprepared so I had my assistants T and M fix you up some remedies and instructions in the note in the bag for when someone gets sick. Journey safely, have plenty of funny and meet many new people. Come visit me at Drum Kingdom when you can. Love Uncle Chopper, Auntie Carrot, Tami and Momji."_

"Aww, Uncle Chopper's such a sweet little reindeer!" Belle said, "The first thing I'm going to do is give him a big old hug!"

"That was really sweet of him" Yoshino said through momo.

"So are you going to get a doctor for the crew, Belle?" Ackmor asked.

"Well...I think we'll be fine as long as we all know how to bandage ourselves up." Belle said, "But on another side, there might be something serious that only a doctor could fix."

"Idiot. A doctor does more than bandage you up. A doctor knows how to keep our bodies in top shape. They also can tell if you're really sick and knows the proper way to heal you" Kaisetsu said. "A doctor is highly recommended to find next for this crew."

"You have a point there, Kai," Belle said, "We'll need to keep a look out for any potential doctors then."

"Why not ask for one of the assistants?" Sakuya mentioned. "Uncle Chopper said the assistants put the kit together so why not them?"

"But I can't ask Uncle Chopper to give up one of his assistants," Belle said, "What if he needs both of them? I'll think about how I should approach getting a doctor guys. I at least know we'll need one."

"That's good enough for now. What's in this box?" Ackmor said pushing a blue, pink and green wrapped box towards Belle.

"Ooh, this one's from Uncle Zoro, Auntie Robin, and Olivia," Belle said as she took out art materials.

"The card is very tiny. It reads Journey safe and get really strong Love the Roronoa family." Yoshino read off through Momo.

"Dad must have wrote the letter he's not too big on mushy words" Kaisetsu said, "...Or proper capitalization for that matter..."

"Well this is a great gift," Belle said, "I haven't really gotten into art, but I just might with this set."

"Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling her art will be terrible?" Ackmor asked.

"You haven't seen Uncle Luffy's drawings if you did your instincts be pretty spot on my android Prince" Sakuya said passing out cups of tea and for Belle juice.

"Alright, a bag with music notes decoration," Belle said, "Hmmm, I wonder who this could be from!" She said sarcastically as she took out a sound dial.

 _"Yohohoho Happy birthday my sweet Belle-san. I know you must be Nami-san carbon copy by now and I can't wait to see you with my own eyes when you enter the grandline. Oh but I don't have any eyes...Skull Joke Yohohoho! I recorded this song for your journey hope enjoy! Love with all my bones Brook"_

"What's with the skulls and bones stuff?" Ackmor asked.

"Oh, Brook is a funny talking skeleton." Belle said.

"Skeleton?!" Yoshino and Ackmor screamed.

"Yea Uncle Brook died years ago, but he ate the Life Life fruit that allows him to live on" Kaisetsu tells them.

"You'll like him he's really hilarious and is a great musician!" Belle said, "Here, listen to this cool song he loves to play." She said as she activated the sound dial.

 _ **Binks' Sake**_

 _ **Singer: Brook**_

 _ **Yo hohoho, yo hohoho Yo hohoho, yo hohoho**_

 _ **Yo hohoho, yo hohoho Yo hohoho, yo hohoho**_

 _ **Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew.**_

 _ **Sea wind blows, to where, who knows? The waves will be our guide.**_

 _ **O'er across the ocean's tide. Rays of sunshine far and wide.**_

 _ **Birds they sing, of cheerful things, in circles passing by.**_

 _ **Bid farewell to weaver's town, say so long to port renowned.**_

 _ **Sing a song, it won't be long, before we're casting off.**_

 _ **Cross the gold and silver seas, a salty spray puts us at ease,**_

 _ **Day and night, to our delight, the voyage never ends.**_

 _ **Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew.**_

 _ **Pirates, we eternally are challenging the sea.**_

 _ **With the waves to rest our heads, ship beneath us as our beds,**_

 _ **hoisted high upon the mast, our jolly roger flies.**_

 _ **Somewhere in the endless sky, stormy winds are blowing by,**_

 _ **waves are dancing, evening comes, it's time to sound the drums.**_

 _ **But steady men, and never fear, tomorrow's skies are always clear.**_

 _ **So pound your feet and clap your hands 'til sunny days return.**_

 _ **Yo hohoho, yo hohoho Yo hohoho, yo hohoho**_

 _ **Yo hohoho, yo hohoho Yo hohoho, yo hohoho**_

 _ **Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew.**_

 _ **Wave goodbye, but don't you cry, our memories remain.**_

 _ **Our days are but a passing dream, everlasting though they seem.**_

 _ **Beneath the moon we'll meet again, the wind's our lullaby.**_

 _ **Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew.**_

 _ **Sing a song, and play along for all the oceans wide.**_

 _ **After all is said and done, you'll end up a skeleton,**_

 _ **so spread your tale from dawn 'til dusk upon these foamy seas.**_

 _ **Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…**_

 _ **Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…**_

 _ **Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…**_

 _ **Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…**_

The crew listened to the song known as Binks' Sake and were nothing short of impressed.

"Wow...for a skeleton he sings...really well," Ackmor said. "Isn't Yohoho a pirate term?"

"It is," Belle said, "This is why I am definitely getting a musician. We have Sakuya's beautiful voice, now we need someone who is able to play instruments."

"Oh thank you, Belle," Sakuya said.

"And now...onto the next one which is Uncle Sanji's!" Belle said as she took out a book which contained dozens of recipes. "Here Sakuya I'm entrusting you with the recipe book of knowledge."

"Uh...it's not that serious," Sakuya said. "So...what does Father Sanji say in his letter to you?"

"Well let's see…" Belle said as she read the note.

 _"Yo, birthday girl, how are you? Eating a lot like your father, I bet and judging from Sakuya's eagerness last time I saw her, she most likely became your cook. Well you better eat every single thing she works hard to cook down to the last crumb, you hear? And also, take good care of her, okay? Being abandoned by your family...the ones you trust to love you...it's hell. Trust me on that. Just take really good care of my little girl and the same for you and Kaisetsu too. I don't need to see no bruises on three lovely faces and if someone hurts one of you three just call me and I'll come kick the manners into the them. Love Uncle Sanji."_

Sakuya smiled sadly into the sink where she was washing dishes. "Father always does seem to worry more than he should about me" Sakuya said.

"Well you're his daughter," Kaisetsu said, "Why wouldn't he worry about you?"

"You're right about that…" Sakuya said.

"Oh, my, Goodness!" Belle shouted as she took out boxes full of candy.

"Is that fishman candy?" Kaisetsu asked.

"It is, and it's from Uncle Jimbei!" Belle shouted in excitement.

"I wish you a Happy Birthday, Belle. Or should I call you Captain Belle of the crew you have made. If there is one important piece of advice I can give you, it's this: Loyalty is not bought or taken. It is earned. The people you have in your crew now or in the future must be loyal to you as their captain. When new people join your crew, do everything you can to get to know them, help them if they have a problem, and earn their trust. Depending on the person, that could be easy or quite difficult, but I have faith that you will become the pirate I know you will. I hope I get the chance to meet the me of your crew, someone who's loyalty rivals that of the first-mate's. Don't tell Zoro I said that though…" -Jimbei

"Hahaha, Jimbei is the best Uncle a girl can have," Belle said.

"He sounds like a very wise man," Yoshino said through Momo.

"He really is," Belle said, "But he's best Uncle because he always babysits Merry and me whenever my parents went out."

"Wait, Uncle Jimbei babysitted you?" Kaisetsu asked. "Oh, I've gotta hear a story about this."

"Odd, I can't really imagine Uncle Jimbei being a babysitter," Sakuya said, "I guess he didn't have much to do, huh?"

"Ooh, what a lovely dress," Belle said taking out a dress, "From my Mom."

 _"Belle, sweetie, I know that I've always gotten on your case about this...but...don't do anything reckless, you hear? I don't want to hear any excuse from you when you get beaten up because you thought you were the toughest pirate around or some crap. I want you to be as safe as possible and don't spend all your money on food! If you do I'll head straight towards you and teach you how to save money my way. Threats aside, I love you very much, sweetie. And say good luck to your navigator, he's gonna need it. Love Mama._

"Well, Acky, Mama wishes you good luck, but I'm not sure what for," Belle said.

"Why does everyone keep telling me that..." Ackmor sighed starting to rethink his oath to join the crew.

"Okay Belle last gift. Looks like it's from Uncle Luffy" Kaisetsu said.

Belle opened her dad's gift to see find a cooler full of meat! Belle's eyes twinkled while everyone fell over.

"Dad's the best dad ever!" Belle cheered looking over all the delicious meat inside the cooler.

"Compared to all the other gifts...Uncle Luffy sure didn't put a lot of effort into that one," Sakuya said.

"Nonsense! He knew exactly what I would love and that is what Daddies do for their girls!" Belle said defending her father's gift before taking out a note.

 _"Shishi, so how's my special birthday princess doing? Kai hasn't gotten you lost, has she? You new friend Ackmor hasn't grown tired of you, has he? And are you meeting new nakama? Ah I have so many questions for you already! Sorry if my gift wasn't as awesome as Usopp's or your mother's or everyone else's, it was the best I could think of when it comes to you. Well, all I have to say is, have fun, Belle. I wish you and Merry a happy birthday~! Love Papa"_

Belle smiled sadly before she looked up, "Happy birthday Sister. I love and miss you so much."

"Well we too wish you a happy birthday, Captain!" Kaisetsu said.

"Yeah, I'm not much a birthday person, but you seemed pretty happy," Yoshino said through Momo.

"And well...you look pretty in that dress," Ackmor said.

"Oh well thank you, Acky," Belle said "And thanks everyone."

"Hold on! There's one important thing missing here!" Sakuya shouted.

"And what's that?" Ackmor asked.

"A birthday cake, obviously!" Sakuya said, "Belle, as your cook I shall perform my first duty of baking you a delicious cake."

"Thank you very much, Sakuya. You don't have to," Belle said.

"Nonsense, a cook must always make people happy with their cooking and that is what I will do," Sakuya said, "Now I must ask you all to help Belle take these presents to her room while I prepare the cake."

As Sakuya ordered, everyone helped Belle carry her presents to her room. Once she was comfortable, they left her to her privacy.

Belle laid down on her bed and closed her eyes, "This is it. The start of a grand journey. Watch me everyone, I'm going to be Queen of the Pirates without a doubt!"

* * *

 _ **Jurabi: Everyone it is 5:30 a.m. right now and we have been working on this chapter for nearly 12 whole hours! And by we I mean me and my writing bae, LazyfoxLover.**_

 _ **Lazyfox: *Drooling on her pillow in her Ace clad Pj's* No mama I don't want to go to school *snore***_

 _ **Jurabi: This chapter was by far the longest one I have ever written in my entire fanfiction writing career. Totally up to over 16k words. Good fucking Oda-senpai.**_

 _ **Lazyfox: Screw the Gorilla man! Long live the animals! Viva la Loca! *slumps back down on her pillow***_

 _ **Jurabi: So….not really much to say but the usual. We hope you guys enjoyed this….juicy chapter and I hope you take the time to review, favorite, and follow this story.**_

 _ **Lazyfox: *sleepy eyed* Bye everyone~ Like the story and please leave a review. See you guys next time. Good night everybody *curls back under the covers with her Ace pillow***_

 _ **Jurabi: See you...next chapter. And now I'm out like a light *falls asleep***_


	7. The First Day

**Jurabi: Alright, I managed to survive Grave of Fireflies (I'm still mad at you Lazyfox), so I guess I can post Grave of Fireflies posts on tum…blr?**

 **Results of 2016 Presidential Election: Donald Trump wins**

 **Jurabi:…FFFFFFFFFF***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

 **Bold Font: Demon/Monster speaking**

 _Italic Font: Thought/Flashback/Emphasis_

 _ **Previously on One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates…**_

 _ **"D-d-d-didn't expect them t-t-to do th-th-that!" Yoshino said through Momo.**_

 _ **"Th-those two r-r-r-really have i-i-i-improved," Usopp shivered.**_

 _ **"Y-Yoshino-k-k-k-kun, d-d-do you n-n-need me to warm you up w-w-with my b-b-body?!" Sakuya asked while blushing and shaking.**_

 _ **"Th-th-that w-w-won't be n-n-necessary…" Yoshino said through Momo.**_

 _ **"Sakuya's a weird girl,"Momo said.**_

 _ **And now…back to the sea.**_

* * *

 **The First Day**

"Happy Birthday to you~!"

"Happy Birthday to you~!"

"Happy Birthday dear Belle~!"

"Happy Birthday to you~!"

The Oathkeeper pirates sang the happy birthday song to their 20 year old captain. Belle was so happy to see her sing to her. She looked at the birthday cake Sakuya had baked for her which said "Happy Birthday to our New Captain."

"Come, hurry up and blow!" Sakuya said urging Belle to blow.

"Okay," Belle said as she blew out the twenty candles. Everyone clapped and cheered for her afterwards which made her smile even wider. "Thank you all so much for this, guys." She said as she gave the crew a big hug.

"Hey, it's the least we could do for you, Belle," Kaisetsu said. "This is a great start for our journey."

"And I simply can't get over how beautiful you are in the new outfit your mother gave you," Sakuya said.

Belle wore a fancy dress consisting of dark blue, white, red, and small amounts of gold lining and buttons. The dress part covered a red with black spiked lining cloth while the breast part is white, along with the skirt which has black lining on both layers. Behind this is a blue bow, matching a smaller one worn around her neck attached to a black and white collar. In the center is a gold piece.

Ackmor couldn't help but be nervous just from staring at Belle in such a dress.

"So who's going cut the cake?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

 **"Yes! Momo wants cake too!"** Momo said.

"Okay, guys, I'll do the cutting real quick," Sakuya said as she began cutting up the cake into pieces and handing it out to everyone.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

After everyone had their fill of cake and drinks, the crew separated to do their own thing on the ship. Yoshino and Carl were taking a look at the cargo hold inside the ship. Sakuya stayed in the kitchen to clean the dishes and prepare for dinner. Kaisetsu went to her room and began reading the many books she brought with her.

Belle was sitting on the head of the Overseer Drago staring out into the distant see, "Ah…so this is what the ocean wind feels like."

"Hey, Belle?" Ackmor asked from behind her.

"Hey, Acky~!" Belle greeted with a smile, "Is there something you need?"

"There's um…something I want to ask you." Ackmor said.

"Uh oh, should I be worried?" Belle asked.

"No, it's just… well," Ackmor said as he remembered when he and Belle first met.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _"Hi there," Belle said to Ackmor with her childish yet cheerful smile, "My name is Monkey D. Belle, the girl who will be the Queen of the Pirates."_

 _"U-um…where am I?" Ackmor asked._

 _"Hold on, did we just skip the part where you introduce yourself to me? That's not nice at all!" Belle said as she puffed her cheeks out in a pouty fashion._

 _"Oh, I didn't mean that. Sorry…I'm…um…" Ackmor said as his voice grew silent. He looked down at the ground and answered, "I don't have a name…"_

 _"Aw, why not," Belle asked, "Mom and Dad gave me a name."_

 _"I…don't know why," Ackmor replied._

 _"Oh well, I guess I'll have to give you one, but first why don't I take you to my place. It isn't that far away, I'm sure." Belle said as she offered Ackmor her hand, "Come on, you can trust me."_

 _"But we've just met…" Ackmor reminded her._

 _"So? It doesn't mean I can't help you." Belle replied with her gentle smile._

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"When you first met me back on Foosha Island confused and without memory, why did you help me?" Ackmor asked.

"Well…Because you were confused and without memory?" Belle replied with a little bit of confusion as to why Ackmor would ask her such a question.

"That's it? Pity was your reason?" Ackmor asked.

"No, not pity, Acky," Belle said, "I thought you needed a friend that's all."

"But did you even stop to consider if I was some kind of trap?" Ackmor asked, "For all you knew, I could have been an attempt to assassinate you or your parents."

"Heh, that's what I had Dadan-san and her gang for," Belle said.

"But still, why didn't-"

"Acky, if I see someone hurt or in need, I'm going to help them." Belle stated, "That's just who I am, and there's no changing it. Or would you rather I'd not come to visit you in that room and not offer to be your friend?"

"No, of course not." Ackmor said, "I'm thankful for what you did, I truly am. But it scares me all the same. Chivalry and longevity don't often go hand in hand."

"Ha! I wish I had a beri for every time I got this lecture," Belle joked.

"I can only offer advice, I'm afraid," Ackmor said, "You really should be more careful in the future."

"I'm sorry, but no," Belle said, "If it happened again today, I'd do the same exact thing…"

"But-"

"Acky, it wouldn't do for our navigator to fry his own brain worrying over me," Belle said, "I understand your point and I know you mean well, but as I said, this is who I am. I can't change that, nor would I want to."

"I…I understand," Ackmor said, "If that is your decision then so be it. Just do try and be careful, Belle. For my peace of mind, if not your own?"

"I will. I promise," Belle said with an assuring smile.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Sakuya was in the hallways of the ship searching for Yoshino, "Yoshino-kun! Oh Yoshino-kun~!"

At the sound of Sakuya's call, Yoshino stepped outside from the storage room, "Hey, Sakuya. Did you need something?" He asked through Momo.

 _ **"What is with this Siren?!"**_ Momo thought getting annoyed by how constantly Sakuya tries to get near Yoshino.

"Um, no." Sakuya said, "Carl-kun is just looking for you."

"Oh, right," Yoshino said through Momo, "We scheduled a meeting with the crew a while ago. Poor Carl sure likes to….AAH!" Suddenly, Yoshino lost his balance and feel right on his face.

"Yoshino-kun! Are you alright?!" Sakuya asked as she helped Yoshino up.

"Y-yes, I'm fine." Yoshino said through Momo, "My head just started hurting and I lost my balance. Man, how embarrassing…"

"It's because you're so exhausted!" Sakuya said, "I watched you and Carl talk for hours on how to beat the Sirens on Aroma Island and I was afraid you two wouldn't even sleep."

"I'm fine, Sakuya. And besides, you must be the most tired out of all of us." Yoshino said through Momo, "You've been working hard to make dinner and wash the dishes and all the other stuff chefs do for a living."

"Yoshino-kun, you've no need to put up a brave face for my sake," Sakuya said. "After hearing what has happened to your home, I'm scared you might not be able to even eat, let alone sleep."

"Heh. You're kind to say so," Yoshino said through Momo. "But in truth, everyone in this crew is most likely going to look to each other for inspiration and strength. A crew is only strong as their confidence in themselves and other. When I joined, I suddenly felt like the instant I show weakness, our resolve would disappear into thin air."

"It must be so hard for you…" Sakuya said.

"I'll…be fine. And please don't speak of this conversation to anyone, all right?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"N-no! Of course not! I would never-"

"Haha! Relax, Sakuya, and stop worrying so much!" Yoshino advised. "It'll take more than a few fights to bring this archer to his knees."

"I know! You're the greatest archer that I've ever…Huh. I just realized something." Sakuya said.

"What is it?" Yoshino asked through Momo but also thought, _"Did she just say I'm the greatest archer?"_

"You trusted me with a secret!" Sakuya said, "It's our first secret together!"

"Oh…um….yes, I suppose it is," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Don't worry, my darling prince," Sakuya said, "My lips are sealed tighter than a bear trap…so long as you promise to take a nap before the crew meeting!"

"…What?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"I'll just tell Belle that you went to the bathroom, come get you, and then no one will notice," Sakuya said, "Unless you're a loud yawner."

"I'm...not, but what if I don't agree to your terms?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Then I'll tell everyone that my darling Prince Yoshino lost his balance like a drunk and fell flat on his face on his first day as an Oathkeeper pirate!" Sakuya threatened with a sly smirk.

 _ **"That sounds like blackmail…"**_ Momo thought.

"Are…are you blackmailing me?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Well…if it gets you to sleep, I will do what is necessary," Sakuya said, "Unless you don't care for your pride and how the crew will see you."

Yoshino let out a silent sigh, "Well I suppose a nap couldn't hurt," He said through Momo. "But only because you told me to."

"Ooh, it's so thrilling to be able to help my handsome prince like this!" Sakuya said happily. "Anyway, I'll leave you to it. Sweet dreams, Yoshino-kun~!" She said before she began skipping off.

"That girl has a strange knack for getting her way…" Yoshino said through Momo.

 **"And Yoshino has a strange knack for letting her do whatever she wants with him,"** Momo said.

"Come on, Momo, Sakuya isn't a bad girl," Yoshino said through Momo, "She just wants to get to know me better. And I am getting a bit tired now that she mentioned it…" He said through Momo as he yawned and went to his room to take a nap.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Kaisetsu was sitting in her room looking over a board with several chess pieces on her reading table, "So if the cavaliers spread out in a fan…and the pegasus knights sweep from the flank."

 ***Knock* *Knock*** "Kaisetsu, are you in there?" Ackmor's voice called from behind the door to Kaisetsu's room.

"Yeah, I am. Come in," Kaisetsu said as Ackmor entered the room.

"Sorry for bothering you, but the crew meeting is about to start," Ackmor said before he noticed the board and pieces. "What's that you have there?"

"Oh this is a chess board," Kaisetsu said, "I'm playing a single game of chess. It's a very fun game with complex strategies involved. This was my mother's favorite game and I used to play this with her all the time."

"I see…that sounds interesting," Ackmor said.

"The only problem is that I don't really have anyone to play this with." Kaisetsu said a little disappointed, "Belle doesn't like complex games like this and Sakuya's always busy fawning over puppet boy. Without other people, chess isn't as fun and exciting as it was built to be."

"Okay, then how about I play with you for a quick round before the meeting?" Ackmor asked.

"Are you sure, Ackmor?" Kaisetsu asked, "Chess isn't the type of game you understand in just one day."

"Don't worry, I'm a good learner," Ackmor said as she took a seat opposite of Kaisetsu.

"So then…here is how this game works," Kaisetsu said as she began to explain the game of chess to Ackmor.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Wait! I need to retract my last move!" Ackmor shouted after six minutes of playing chess with Kaisetsu.

"No way, android," Kaisetsu said with a smirk, "Once you take your hand off your piece after making your move, that move is set in stone." She said as she took Ackmor's King piece, "And that is checkmate."

"…Blast! I hate to admit it, but you really kicked my ass in this game," Ackmor said.

"Don't let it get to you, Ackmor," Kaisetsu said, "This is your first game with me and I've been playing this with my mother since I was ten. Once you practice, and practice, you'll get the hang of it in no time."

"Have you ever beaten your mother at this game?" Ackmor asked.

"Only once…" Kaisetsu said with a sigh. "But at least I've learned from all loses I had against her."

"Well at least I had fun playing against you," Ackmor said, "How about we have a rematch some other time?"

"Yes, I'm very looking forward to it," Kaisetsu said as she put the chess pieces and board up, "Now for the crew meeting."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

It was nighttime with the moon hovering and beaming its light down onto the immobile Overseer Drago.

The Oathkeeper pirates were inside the kitchen sitting on the dining table.

"Okay, so we're on our way to Aroma Island to fight this Marie A. Claude and her crew of sirens and drive them off the island." Belle said. "I've never actually fought a siren before, so any information on them would be helpful."

"But first, I think we should talk about our destination first," Kaisetsu said turning to Yoshino and Carl, "So could you two tell us more about Aroma Island?"

"Well, Aroma Island is exactly as it sounds," Yoshino said through Momo, "It is an island well-known for its aroma of lovely smells from flowers to trees to the air itself. It's a wonderful place for anyone who loves the smell of outdoors."

"There are two villages on the island: Rose Village and Oak Village." Carl explained, "Yoshino and I lived in Rose Village during our childhood. There are also two forests known as the Elk Forest and Insect Forest."

"So let me guess, this Claude's pirate hideout is at the center of the island, right?" Sakuya asked.

"That's right," Carl said, "The hideout is actually called 'Siren's Sanctuary'."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile on Aroma Island at the place known as Siren's Sanctuary, which was a large and wide tower surrounded by normal grounds on which the siren crewmembers reside, on the very top floor there was a throne room.

Sitting on the throne was a siren woman with a slim, curvy body. She had olive skin, waist-length pure white hair, light blue eyes, black-painted fingernails, and a tattoo of a tribal style crescent tattoo with the words Misute rareta (Outcast).

She wore a double frilled white strapless belly shirt, black jean shorts, a pelican hook belt, knee high fishnets, and flat ankle boots. Her jewelry consisted of a gem-encrusted gold hellenistic diadem around her forehead, a silver payal anklet on her left foot, and two golden bangles on her right arm.

The siren woman was sipping down some wine from her silver glass until the doors to her throne room opened.

"LET GO OF ME!" A tied up blonde-haired woman screamed as she was dragged into the throne room by two male sirens.

The woman being dragged in by the fishman had light-blue eyes and her hair was tied into a high pony tail. She wore a white t-shirt under a mid-length black leather jacket, blue pants, and brown sandals.

"Lady Claude," One of the male sirens said, "We have brought the girl, as you ordered."

The siren had an appearance similar to that of a ninja. His hair was red that was styled in a shaggy mohawk which matched his dark-red kimono. His right eye had a jagged scar on it preventing it from ever opening and his mouth was covered by a black mask. His arms were covered in plates that had sharp knives attached and his dark pants had several tears on them.

"It seems that she has become a lot feistier than when we first brought her Siren's Sanctuary," Said the other male siren. "But that's just how I love my sweet women."

The siren had dark grey eyes that matched his hair, which was in a combed style making him appear rather handsome. He wore a grey silky long-sleeve coat under a white vest with a round shield on his left shoulder, black pants and grey combat boots.

"Pah, can you think of nothing else but disgusting human females, Laslow?" The ninja siren asked the other siren named Laslow.

"Oh don't be like that, Saizo," Laslow said to the grumpy ninja known as Saizo, "Women are the rarest gems to come by especially if they are human."

"You disgust me," Saizo said, "You dare call yourself a siren and the proud member of the-"

"Enough, both of you!" The woman siren named Claude shouted silencing Laslow and Saizo. "We have no time to waste on the two of you bantering."

"My apologies, my lady," Laslow said.

"It will not happen again, Lady Claude," Saizo said bowing.

Claude smiled as she looked down at the blonde-haired woman they had brought in, "Welcome, Sonya, to Siren's Sanctuary~!"

"Are you expecting me feel welcomed, you bitch?!" Sonya shouted.

"What can I say? She's become quite the 'hot' lady if you know what I mean," Laslow said with a blush painted on his cheeks.

"One more word from you, Laslow, and I'll have Peri take you out on the date you've been asking all the females of Aroma Island for," Claude threatened.

Laslow began to sweat at the mention of the name of one of their female crew members, "N-No! Anyone but her! My deepest apologies, my lady! I'll shut up now!"

"Pathetic…" Saizo muttered.

"You…" Sonya growled at the siren woman before her, "What did you do to my father?! To my island?!"

"Whatever do you mean, dear Sonya?" Claude asked with a giggle, "All I wanted was to talk to you!"

"Liar! You put them under some kind of daze and now they won't stop saying your name!" Sonya said, "You better release them, or you'll be sorry!"

"In a daze but won't stop saying my name…" Claude muttered as she also said in a rather fake tone, "Ooooh! So that's what it is!"

"Don't play dumb, you know what you did to them!" Sonya said.

"Seeheehee, yeah, I was just playing with you," Claude said as she stood up from her throne and began walking towards Sonya, "So what if I used my beautiful voice to hypnotize your pathetic human loved ones to obey my every whim? Isn't that the right of all sirens?"

"We let you live here for six years and this is how you repay us?!" Sonya asked, "Not only did you kill Chief Hayu, but you enslaved my loved ones! Why?! What do you want from us?!"

"Sonya…Sonya…Sonya," Claude said as she held Sonya's face by the cheeks tightly, "You know it's not nice to ask questions so personal when you're the GUEST OF SIREN SANTUARY!" She shouted as she kicked Sonya in the face.

"Ah!" Sonya screamed as her nose began to bleed.

"The nerve of humans," Claude scoffed as she pulled her white hair behind her right ear, "They think they deserve to know everything when in reality they're the ones who understand less than nothing in this whole world. They deserve nothing more than the fate of being slaves to the siren race…or at least to _my_ siren race."

"You'll…p-pay…for this!" Sonya muttered.

"Oh will I?" Claude asked as she sat down on her throne with her legs crossed and an evil smirk on her face, "Don't get your hopes too high, girl, or they'll come back to bite you in the ovaries."

 _"I'm not allowed to flirt with female humans but the captain gets to talk about sensitive female parts?!"_ Laslow thought.

 _"The captain is as foul-mouthed as ever…"_ Saizo thought.

"There is a reason why I had my good boys drag you out of your cell though," Claude said, "Tell me…Do you know a boy by the name of Yoshino Hoshida?"

Sonya's eyes widened in shock after hearing Yoshino's name, "Y-Yoshino?!"

"Ah so you _do_ know him," Claude said, "Then he should come running towards my clutches the second he hears that you are my prisoner."

"Why are you after Yoshino?" Sonya asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Claude asked as she smiled, "I want the Fujin Yumi."

"The Fujin Yumi?" Sonya asked.

"Yes, the ancient bow that was passed down from generations to generations of an ancient family," Claude said, "A weapon that holds power as strong as the wielder's soul. I want that weapon and I will get that weapon by any means necessary. So you better pray that your precious man is able to find Yoshino and the Fujin Yumi, or you'll be taking a dip in the shark tank."

"H-How do you know about the Fujin Yumi?" Sonya asked, "Everyone kept that weapon a secret on this island."

"Ah but the same 'everyone' is under my control, last time I checked," Claude said, "Especially your father who was nice enough to tell me everything. Yoshino Hoshida has the Fujin Yumi and will return with it. And once such a powerful weapon is in my hands…oh well…you won't be conscious to even know. Take her away."

"You monster!" Sonya screamed as she tried to run towards Claude but was stopped when something was stabbed inside her leg causing her to scream in agony.

"You're so sweet to call me that," Claude said happily as she held a long golden spear that impaled Sonya's leg, "Keep that attitude up and I'm sure you'll make a wonderful addition to the Siren Pirates."

"What kind of sea water have you been drinking…?" Sonya grunted, "I'll never join scum bags like you!"

"I know, but I never said you had a choice in the matter," Claude said as Saizo and Laslow dragged Sonya out of the throne room, "Bye-bye for now~! Seeeeeheeheehee!"

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"So this Marie Claude woman," Sakuya said, "Who is she?"

"That's a good question," Carl said, "No one really knows much about Claude's origins. The same goes for the sirens. They've always been known as dangerous yet beautiful creatures that lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices."

"I've read about that in a research book on sirens," Kaisetsu said, "As Carl said, not much is known about them especially their home island, wherever that may be."

"Their home island, huh?" Sakuya asked with a faraway look.

"Actually, I heard a tale from Old Man Hayu back when he was training me how to wield a bow," Yoshino said through Momo, "He said that deep within the Grandline, there lies an island unlike any sailors have seen. Some people say that the trees that grow there are as beautiful as the petals of a Sakura tree."

"No way!" Belle said in awe, "That sounds like an awesome island to visit!"

"That's _if_ such an island exists," Ackmor said. "So is there anything more you can tell us about Claude such as how dangerous she is?"

"Claude is an extremely dangerous siren and a force not to be underestimated," Carl said as he took out a bounty poster of Claude, "Look at her bounty."

 **"The Banshee. Marie A. Claude."** Momo read as he began to sweat, **"Th-Thirty million b-beri's?!"**

"Wow~! That's the same amount my daddy had when he saved Mom from the mean fishmen!" Belle cheered, "I'm going to fight someone that was on his level at the time! I can't wait!"

"Don't get all excited that you are going to fight a full-fledged pirate!" Ackmor shouted, "This woman has a 30 million beri bounty on her head and we haven't even talked about her crew of sirens! You may be fine fighting her but what about us?!"

"Acky, I have faith in everyone's fighting abilities here." Belle said, "Kaisetsu has her sword skills, Sakuya has her Black leg style, Yoshino has an awesome bow, and you have awesome fire! Those sirens will be toasted fish when we're done with them."

"I wouldn't get too overconfident if I were you, Belle," Carl said, "Claude is something else entirely when compared to King Kong. Sirens are known for being masters of the sea alongside fishmen. What makes them even more dangerous is their singing."

"Their singing?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Yes. Like I said before, with the power of their voices, sirens can manipulate and control the minds of any who listen to it. Animals, fishmen, and even humans." Carl said.

"I see…so back when Yoshino was attacked by those wolves in the Gecko Islands and Sakuya singed, she was able to control them and get them to stop," Ackmor concluded.

"That's not what I did," Sakuya said.

"It's not?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"My singing does not have the power to control the mind," Sakuya said, "It has the power to calm the heart and soul."

"Calm the heart and soul?" Ackmor asked. "That's the first time I've heard of something like that."

"I haven't read anything about this kind of power, either," Kaisetsu said.

"Well that's cool with me," Belle said, "You're sooo unique, Sakuya!"

"Oh well thanks," Sakuya said.

Yoshino couldn't help but think back to the time Sakuya sang him to sleep. After hearing the explanation to the power of Sakuya's voice, it makes sense since his heart and soul were at a state of unrest.

"So as long as the sirens have the power of their voices, we actually don't stand a chance against them," Carl said.

"Well how about we cover our ears and fight them?" Belle suggested.

"With what? Our feet?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

 **"Worst suggestion!"** Momo shouted.

"Well what genius idea do you have, puppet bear!" Belle said.

 **"DON'T MAKE MOMO STRANGLE YOU!"** Momo screamed angrily as he flailed around with Yoshino holding him back.

"Both of you cut it out!" Kaisetsu yelled as she pulled Belle by the cheek. "Any ideas on how we can get around the siren's voices?"

"Well…" Ackmor said as he kept himself in deep thought, "Hold on…" He said as he took a look the map of all the Four Blues. "Let's see…we're here…" Ackmor said as he pointed at the spot near the center of sea that separate the Gecko Islands, Aroma Island, and one more island named Towa Island. "That's it! We could get the state-of-the-art Sound Plugs from Towa Island."

"Towa Island?" Carl asked.

"Sound Plugs?" Sakuya asked.

"Towa Island is the island that neighbors the Gecko Islands and Aroma Island," Kaisetsu explained, "It's well-known for being the most industrial island in the east blue. The Towa Company, who runs the island, manufactures ships, weapons, and all other types of technology that is usually used for warfare."

"Not only do they make weapons, they also make equipment for marines to use on the battlefield. One of the products in particular is the Sound Plugs," Ackmor said. "Sound Plugs are used to prevent a soldier's eardrums from breaking when hearing extremely loud sounds like a cannon explosion."

"So those plugs will block out the siren's singing?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"They should," Ackmor said, "We'll definitely have the upper hand against the sirens if we get them, but that's up to Belle to decide."

"I'm okay with it," Belle said, "Yoshi, Carl, is it okay with you two if we side-track a bit before heading to Aroma Island?"

Carl was very hesitant to answer, "Yeah…anything we need to gain the upper hand against Claude, but let's not take too long on the island okay?"

"I'm okay with it too," Yoshino said through Momo. "But I heard that Sound Plugs are expensive for one person alone."

"Don't worry. We'll use the money Franky gave Belle to buy the Sound Plugs," Ackmor said.

"What?!" Belle asked, "Didn't you say you would teach me how to save on money, Acky~?!"

"I did," Ackmor replied, "And here's the first tip to saving money: Spend it on the stuff you _need_ before the stuff you want like meat."

"But I neeeeeed meat~!" Belle whined as she hugged Ackmor, "I need them or I'll explode~! That happens to me sometimes…"

"…" Ackmor looked at Kaisetsu, "Does it?"

Kaisetsu shook her head, "You're such a drama queen, Belle."

"Then it's settled," Sakuya said, "We'll be heading to Towa Island tomorrow. So, who's hungry for some dinner?"

"Oh! I am! I am!" Belle cheered.

"You could at least sound a little bit mature, Belle," Ackmor said.

As the others continued their banter with Belle, Yoshino looked over and saw the look of guilt on Carl's face, "That's wasn't an easy choice for you, was it Carl?" He asked through Momo.

"No…every day we give up is another day those monsters keep control over Aroma Island." Carl said.

"Can't the Marines, do anything about this?" Yoshino asked through Momo, "You'd think they'd be all over something like sirens taking control of a peaceful island."

"I've tried to tell them many times, but they don't believe my story." Carl said, "Sirens are a race of legend. The only two sirens I know are Claude and her goons and your siren friend. You were the only one I could turn to because Claude killed Old Man Hayu. You didn't care about anyone else including me and Sonya."

"…If you were in my shoes, you wouldn't say such a bullshit statement." Yoshino said through Momo as he stormed off.

"Yoshino…" Carl said trying to apologize but Yoshino was already gone, "Damn it…I screwed up again."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Yoshino went up to the crow's nest to cool his head off, "…Momo…am I being too sensitive about all this?"

 **"What does Yoshino mean?"** Momo thought.

 _"Exactly what I said,"_ Yoshino thought, _"Am I or am I not being oversensitive about my home, my family, and Carl? Because so far I've done nothing but lie and push people away."_

 _ **"Well if you put the situation that way, then yes,"**_ Momo thought which made Yoshino sigh, _**"Momo knows that you are going through a harsh time coping with the loss of your mother and are still blaming yourself for not saving your sister, but you also knows that you shouldn't push your friends away. Yes, your friends and loved ones did believe that you killed your mother, but Carl doesn't. Belle and the crew doesn't believe you is a murderer especially Sakuya, so why are you pushing them away?"**_

 _"Because…because I don't know who would want to believe in me anymore,"_ Yoshino thought.

 _ **"But-"**_

 _"Even if there are people who do believe in me, it doesn't change anything!"_ Yoshino thought interrupting Momo, _"They'll just stop believing in me at some point in their life. No matter what, time wins against everything including trust…so why bother?"_

 _ **"Yoshino…"**_ Momo thought.

"Yoshino-kun~!" Sakuya called, "Your lovely dinner is ready my lovely prince."

"Okay…I'll be right there!" Yoshino responded through Momo as he climbed down from the crow's nest, _"I lost my faith in the last pirate crew I encountered…this crew will be no different."_

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"…Hey…can you hear me?" A female voice asked.

Meanwhile in a black room, a dark-blue haired girl opened her brown eyes. She put her hand up against her head feeling slightly woozy, "My head…wha…what happened?"

The blue-haired girl's hair was cut in the traditional Japanese princess style. She was wearing an elaborate blazer with gold lining, and a large collar, which is open to reveal a collared shirt and red tie underneath. The cuffs of this jacket are tucked into a pair of white wrist-high gloves. On her legs, she wore a pair of black tights, which are tucked into a pair of knee-high boots and sit under a short white frilled skirt. She was also wearing a white headband with a white ribbon tied at the middle in a bow, pointing straight up.

"Are you okay?" the female voice asked.

"H-Huh? Where am I?" She asked as she looked around the room and saw a girl leaning against the wall near the door.

The girl was pale with pink eyes. She has long multi-colored hair consisting of black, pink, blue and white, some of which is tied into two oni horns on the top of her head.

She wore a uniform that is usually fit for high school girls with ripped thigh highs (the right one is pink and the left one is blue). Both of her ears have six needle earrings and an earlobe gauge. She also has three mouth piercings and black nail polish. She wears a necklace, and three silver rings on her left hand. Her shoes are white, with blue shoelaces on the right one and pink shoelaces on the left one. There is also a noticeable long scar tattoo with stitches on her left thigh.

"Ah! Finally awake, Ibuki sees!" The girl who named herself Ibuki said.

"Huh?" The brown-haired girl asked completely confused.

"Come on, come on! Tell Ibuki your name, please!" Ibuki shouted all excitedly.

"Hana," The girl named Hana said. "I'm sorry but…who are you exactly and I'm not talking about your name?"

"You ask for who Ibuki is exactly?" Ibuki asked, "Well, Ibuki is many things, but for now she's just a lowly servant."

"A servant," Hana asked.

"Yeah, Ibuki was really bad in her group so her captain sent her here as punishment. Did you really have to send Ibuki to a war torn place, captain?" Ibuki said. "And did you really have to make me their servent?"

"Them? Wait, what happened to the island?" Hana asked wondering who Ibuki was talking about before she clenched her head in pain, "Agh…"

"Oh no, are you okay?" Ibuki asked.

"Yeah…I'm fine," Hana said, "I feel like something…just sucked my brain out or something…"

"Well that isn't possible because you'd be dead if you lost your brain!" Ibuki said, "Cartoons may say that you just go dumb when you lose your brain, but that's a lie!"

"Hey, where am I?" Hana explained.

"Sorry, Ibuki is being rude again by spazzing out." Ibuki said, "That happens a lot. Enough about Ibuki. Let's talk about you, Hana. To answer your question…I have orders not to tell you."

"What?" Hana asked.

"Ibuki knows…It sucks sometimes not to know what is going on!" Ibuki said before she sighed. "Either you truly are completely exhausted, or you're too afraid to wake up and face reality. You were asleep for a full two days."

Hana's eyes widen in shock as she said, "A full two days?! Wait, what's with the sudden change in subjects?"

"A full two days." Ibuki said, "That's more than enough time for the world to change completely. Yes, even our world can change just that quickly like a watercolor painting caught in the rain. Ah, but you're more concerned about yourself than the world right now, correct? You're wondering what's to become of you now that you're trapped here in this place."

"Hey, I don't know what you're trying to say, but I don't have time. I've got to figure out what exactly happened to me and Towa Island." Hana said standing up.

"Huh…" Ibuki thought out loud.

"What is it?" Hana asked.

"Ah, apologies," Ibuki said, "Your response was so…interesting. It surprised Ibuki a little. Well anyways, there are some people who want to meet you."

"No offense, but I don't exactly trust you. I prefer to leave this place wherever-the-hell I am." Hana said.

"Oh, so vicious sounding," Ibuki said, "Ibuki does not pity the fools who fell for you cuteness, Hana."

"Whatever just let me get out of here." Hana said.

"I'm afraid that's not an option." Ibuki said as she suddenly placed a stone bracelet on Hana's hand.

"What the? Did you just handcuff me?!" Hana asked.

Ibuki let out a cheeky smile, "That's right, Hana-san. Unfortunately, Ibuki has to put that ugly thing on you, or you would have rebelled against her temporary masters and we can't have that happening, can we?"

"What do you want with me?" Hana asked.

"There will be answers to that question later," Ibuki said, "Now come along, it's time for you to meet them." She said as she grabbed Hana and led her away from her room through the dark fortress.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Ibuki led Hana to a large throne room. There, Hana saw four teenagers standing there before her.

One of them was a boy with orange hair and ocean-blue eyes. He wore a red t-shirt under a white tank top, blue jean shorts, knee high black socks, and white tennis shoes.

The other was a boy with gray eyes wearing a horrible-looking mask, a brown vest over a long-sleeved sweater, a tool belt, and brown shoes.

The third kid was a girl with bright pink eyes and matching pink hair pulled into a ponytail with short bangs and forelocks. She wore a pale pink blouse with gold cuff beneath a dark blue, gold lined vest that has a pink collar and hot pink and white bow. In the center is a gold medallion. White pleat ruffles line the vest, while pale pink feathers are sewn to the back. Her skirt is a pink pleat tutu over a ruffled petticoat, and she gains tall white boots with gold cuff lining and a hot pink bow on the ankle corner.

The last teen was a short blue-haired boy with blue eyes. He had a tan scarf wrapped around his neck and he wore a white coat with white pants, blue socks, and white shoes.

"As you've ordered, masters," Ibuki said as she stepped back.

Hana looked at each of the kids, "Who are all of you?"

"Aw sweet," The orange haired boy shouted in an up-beat tone, "Who'd thought we'd be able to bag one of those About-to-be marines! Man I can't wait to see what we can do with her!"

"About-to-be?" Hana asked.

"Uhuhuhu, I only brought my razor with me…but I don't mind. Anyone willing to scratch my back with this?" The masked boy said in a depressive tone.

Hana couldn't help but already feel weirded out by the masked kid's mentality.

"Oh and we have presents for you too. I'm also in the mood for sweets," The pink-haired girl said sweetly, "However, salty flavors are no good. Those disgusting tastes are never worth putting in your mouth especially the mouths of adorable hamsters."

"Mh…I want to drive a train…someday…" the masked boy said. "But I can't because I want to go inside a chimney…"

"…" The blue-haired boy remained silent and only stared at Hana.

"What in the world…" Hana asked in confusion. "What...is this...?"

"Ufufu, Erica's sorry for her friends, Hana," A voice said as everyone turned to see a green-haired girl with green eyes wearing a black dress roll towards them on a wheelchair. "They can be a bit weird when you first meet them. Welcome Big-Sis. Erica's so glad you came, nya."

"Uh…" Hana was completely at a loss of what was going on before her eyes.

"Oh my, Erica thinks Big-Sis doesn't know us yet." the green-haired girl said, "Then we should start the introductions."

"Alright," the orange-haired kid said, "Let's start with me, the leader! I'm the leader of the Warriors of Hope! Hero Knight Daimon! As the knight of this island, I'm gonna be the new ruler!" Daimon said as he rubbed the back of his head as he imagined how amazing that would feel like, "Ah, a hero, the leader, and the ruler. I even impress myself!"

"Hmpf, you're far too boastful to be a leader. A _true_ leader is calm and dignified." The blue haired boy said in disgust.

"But I am the leader! We all agreed on it!" Daimon said.

"All he did was win at a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors." The pink haired girl said.

"Doesn't matter," Daimon said stopping the ground, "I'm still the leader! I won so I'm the leader! The leadeeer," He shouted.

"Fine, fine," The blue haired boy said with a sigh of defeat, "You're the leader. Now allow me to introduce myself before we drag this out. My name is Cheren. I am, as I assume, the vice-leader of the Warriors of Hope. I hold the title as the Samurai of Lightning."

"S-So does that mean I-I'm next…?" the masked boy asked.

"Well are you ready?" Cheren asked.

"Ah, wait! Before I go, can I practice introducing myself first?" The masked boy asked. "Um…what was I gonna say…? Uh, you know how when you stare into moving bicycle spokes, you get all scared? Like, for some reason, you imagine how painful it would be to put your hand in…and uh…bird skin isn't yummy no matter how you cook it. Oh and also I wonder if aliens exist…and also-"

"You're name is Jotaro and you are known as the Drawer of Illusions." Cheren said, "Moving on…"

"Aww…You said what I was gonna say next…!" Jotaro said. "Ugh…my chest itches! I wish I could scratch it raw, reach inside, and scrape my nails on it…"

"As usual, Jotaro, your speeches are long, boring, and way off-topic." The pink haired girl said stepping forward. "Don't worry about him, Ms. Hana, Jotaro's a latchkey kid. It made him a bit mental. It's not that I dislike latchkey kids, though. Some kids say they have magical powers! Isn't that awesome? You might get caught inside a magical parallel universe!" She said as she did a cute curtsey, "Oh, sorry for the late introduction! My name is Megumi Tanaka and I play the role of the Sailor Soldier of Love. My favorite food is peeled chestnuts. My least favorite food is unpeeled chestnuts. Kya! Aren't you surprised? They're both chestnuts!"

"Yes, yes," Cheren said, "That's all good to talk about during lunch or something, but the next introduction is Erica."

"E-Erica," Hana asked.

"Okies!" The green-haired girl named Erica said as a cricket flew onto her hand, "Erica is called Erica. Erica is also known as the Bug Mage. Erica not only have control over bugs but also all sorts of magic." Erica said as she whispered, "Between you and Erica, Erica's the real leader of the Warriors of Hope."

"The Warriors of Hope," Hana asked as she wondered what that even was.

"The Warriors of Hope are heroes who save the world from Demons Adults. Isn't that amazing?" Megumi asked.

"We're a party of heroes that hunt down Demon Adults…but nobody really wants me in the group…" Jotaro said.

"And I'm the party leader!" Daimon said, "Which makes me the number one king of this town!"

"Wait…" Hana said as she rubbed her head, "I am so confused. Hunting down adults?"

"That's right. Our goal is to kill all the adults on this island." Megumi explained, "So far we have been proceeding with success. All we need to do is find all the little rats hiding."

"You kids? Killing adults?" Hana asked, "I-Is this some kind of twisted joke well it's not funny!"

"A joke," Cheren asked as with a low growl.

"You're all just young adults. For you to be killing adults…" Hana said.

"Just young adults…" Cheren growled as he clenched his hands into fists.

"Huh?" Hana asked.

"Awww…that's the only thing I can say: Just awww." Megumi said. "Since you're an About-to-be, we were thinking…well, doesn't matter. You're clearly a Demon."

"How dare you compare us to adults? Between children and the adults the power structure remains the same. The subjects have merely been switched in this case." Cheren explained as three giant elephants entered the room, "Trust me, we all didn't kill adults alone. With our elephants, you adults will be nothing more than squashed roaches beneath our feet."

"Elephants," Hana asked in shock, "You use elephants to kill adults?"

"Uhuhuhu, you would be splattered like the sound of bloody chopped meat, intestines falling out of you like sausages…" Jotaro said as he giggled in delight of the thought.

"Oh stop that, Jotaro! If you say it like that, Ms. Hana will think we're _joking_." Megumi said.

"But, how did you get elephants to do your every bidding?" Hana asked.

"Erica's magic, of course." Daimon explained, "Isn't it so cool? The elephants obey any order we give 'em. That's Erica for you, she can do almost anything!"

"Ufufu, thank you Daimon, you're so nice." Erica said with a smile.

"Kyaaa," Megumi screamed with excitement, "Erica's smile is sooo adorbs! Oh, I just wanna smother you in syrup and eat you uuup!"

"I've had enough of this! Stop this right now!" Hana demanded.

"Stop," Jotaro asked, "Which part?"

"All of what you are doing! Killing adults with mind-controlled elephants, stop all of that!" Hana ordered.

"We will not. We will never stop until we've completed our paradise." Cheren said.

"Paradise," Hana asked.

"A paradise made of the children, by the children, for the children." Erica explained.

"We're gonna kill all the adults on this island and make a paradise just for kids!" Daimon said. "Isn't it awesome?! No school or homework in paradise, whoo hoo!"

"Why must fireflies die so young…?" Jotaro randomly asked.

"And since our paradise is for children only, there won't be any more pedophiles, either!" Megumi said.

"But can we keep the ice cream store? The ice cream didn't do anything wrong…" Jotaro said.

"What are you saying?! What are you talking about? It doesn't make any sense!" Hana said.

"Mmgh…" Erica growled, "IT! DOESN'T! HAVE TO! MAKE! ANY! SENSE! THAT'S! ALL! IF! ERICA! WANTS! IT! IT! HAPPENS! THAT'S! HOW! IT! IS!" She screamed which made the four kids run to her side.

"U-Uh-oh…" Daimon stuttered, "Th-This is bad! Erica's maaad!"

"I-It's going to be alright, Erica!" Cheren said, "Please, don't get upset…It's all going according to plan!"

"That's right," Jotaro said, "If Erica says it, then white is black, cats are dogs, and, um…what else…?"

"Oh please, oh please don't get mad!" Megumi said, "We'll kill a lot of adults, see? So just smile, okay?"

"How dare you?!" Daimon asked as he glared at Hana.

"Huh?" Hana asked.

"How dare you make Erica mad," Daimon asked, "That's the last straw! As the leader, I'm gonna hunt you down!"

"Hunt," Hana asked.

"Let us play a game. You will be our Demon prey." Cheren said.

"It's a really fun game, a godly game…" Jotaro said.

"It was Erica's idea, after all." Megumi said.

"And the name of the game is…" Daimon said, "Demon Hunting! Demon Hunting is a game where you release Demons into Towa Island. They're the targets. It's a super fun game where the Warriors of Hope fight to see who takes down the Demon first!"

"Woow, that sounds super fun! And our very own Erica came up with it!" Megumi said. "See, Erica? We're going to play our special game! No need to be upset now, right?"

"Mmgh…" Erica turned her frown upside down and put on a cheerful face, "Yes, yes! So exciting! Let's do it! Come on, hurry up and let's do it!"

"Wait, by target you mean…" Hana whispered.

"You, hurry up and activate the device." Cheren said to Ibuki.

"As you wish, master." Ibuki said as pushed a button on the controller which caused the black bracelet on Hana's arm to glow red.

"What _is_ this thing?!" Hana asked.

"This wristband is a custom-made device given to the targets of the game." Ibuki explained. "It would be best if you didn't try and remove it. Any tampering with it and you'll go boom!"

"What?!" Hana asked as her heart began to race.

"Okay then…Now we're ready." Jotaro said.

"Alright," Daimon cheered, "Let's go hunting!"

"Why?" Hana asked.

"…What?" Daimon asked.

"Why do you want to kill me," Hana asked, "I didn't do anything wrong!"

Hearing Hana's words only made the five children burst and loud laughter.

"Oh geez, you're too funny, Ms. Hana!" Megumi screamed, "Ahaha, I'm laughing so hard my cheeks hurt!"

"We play the games cuz they're fun, duh!" Daimon said.

"That's the only reason?!" Hana asked.

"You're only surprised because you aren't used to this way of doing things." Erica said, "This is just what we like. We do it because it's fun, and that truly is the only reason!"

"Searching for meaning in the meaningless is for adults. Children are untainted by such futility." Cheren said, "But, to tell you the truth, I would rather not play this game. There is still much work to be done to build our paradise, yet here we are, playing games…"

"Then why do it at all then?!" Hana asked.

"We do it because this is Erica's game. She said she wants it done, so it will be done." Cheren replied.

"Erica is the princess! Everyone on our team tries to grant the princess' wish." Jotaro said.

"And I looove what Erica loves!" Megumi said.

"So that's basically the situation." Cheren said.

"Thank you, Cheren." Erica said, "Even though you're so busy, you did all this work for the sake of my game…I'll have to bake you some delicious cookies later as thanks!"

Cheren blushed and tapped his index fingers together, "…Y-Yeah. Thank you."

"Aww! That's sooo not fair! I wanna eat Erica's cookies too!" Megumi said.

"Hey, Erica," Daimon whined, "What about me? The leader!"

"Y-You people…you're not normal." Hana said.

"Of course an adult would see us as abnormal…" Erica said, "BUT! WHO! CARES! WHAT! ADULTS! SAY!" She shouted, "Also, Hana…In your current situation, you don't have the right to say a thing. You cannot choose your path because this place you're in…isn't a path at all."

"What?" Hana asked.

"You are not on a path; you are falling into an abyss. A darkness gaping open beneath your feet," Erica said. "You are just going to fall and fall…can't you feel the pull of gravity?"

"Damnit! Make sense already! What the hell are you talking about now?" Hana asked.

"She's talking about THIS!" Daimon said as he pressed a button.

Suddenly, the floor beneath Hana disappeared and she was sent sliding down a slide.

"AAAAAAH!" She screamed as she uncontrollably went through turns in the slide until she ended up hitting a garbage bag. "Oww…" She muttered as she looked around at the garbage dump then back at the tall building she was in. "Damnit…" She muttered looking at her bracelet, which was now a bomb, "I need to get this thing off of me. But…where to go…" She asked herself as she walked through the abandoned streets of Towa Island.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"A child's ears are?!" Daimon asked the rest of the Warriors of Hope.

"Wonderful ears," Jotaro, Megumi, and Erica shouted, but Cheren stayed silent.

"A child's eyes are?!" Daimon asked.

"Adorable eyes," the three kids replied.

"A child's mouth is?!" Daimon asked.

"A great big mouth!" the three kids said.

"Why is it so big?!" Daimon asked.

"To gobble up the Demons," Daimon and the three kids answered as all four of them howled in laughter, "Alright, Gaaame on!"

"Let's say this particular Demon will be worth an extra high score because it upset us." Cheren said.

"Then it looks like I'll win when I catch it!" Megumi said.

"A game is different than reality…So that means even I can actually win." Jotaro said.

"My, my," Megumi said, "It's rare to see Jotaro so pumped…but it also makes him extra gross."

"Hey, let Jotaro have his excitement time," Cheren said getting defensive of Jotaro, "There's nothing wrong with that."

"That doesn't matter! At the end of the day, the one who wins is gonna be me, the leader!" Daimon proudly said.

"Now now, it doesn't matter who wins," Cheren said, "Just make sure you don't fight while playing the game!"

"Well, anyway, do you guys wanna get a cola or something?" Jotaro asked.

"Oooh, a soda sounds great! Someone go buy some! Leader's orders," Daimon said.

As Erica was about to exit the room, she chuckled to herself, "Ufufufu…and just like that, the pieces are in place. All that's left now is to wait for the end…Hehe…I'm looking forward to it!"

Ibuki watched Erica and the rest of the Warriors of Hope leave the room and sighed, "Aww…and Ibuki was just starting to like that girl. Oh well, Ibuki hopes you do your best, Hana. And try not to get killed too quickly. You're not a useful distraction if you're dead, after all." She said with an evil smile.

* * *

 **Jurabi: **************************************************************************************************************CK!**

 **Belle: Hahaha! He said fuck! XD**

 **Jurabi: Okay…I finally got that out of my system, I'm going to be honest. I don't particularly enjoy talking about politics since I find the subject to be rather divisive and I don't want to be one of those assholes who just shove their political agenda down people's throats. The only thing I want to say about the results of this year's election is this and this goes especially to all black, LGBT, gay, and non-Americans: Don't live in fear. Don't let the spirit of fear take a hold of your actions just because of who the next president is. And please and I pray to God, don't be one of those people who rioted like in New York.**

 **It's one thing to feel afraid but try to get over that fear, and it's another thing to show fear through your anger. And this is all coming from someone who didn't like either of the candidates.**

 **In the end of the day, all of us who write, read, or just talk to each other in general on this site are fans of our favorite series. Whether American or non-American, we are all fans of One Piece and people who enjoy this particular story that I worked so hard to make, and whatever may come, we're in this together. And that's all I wanted to say to you guys.**

 **And one last thing that's not related to the subject, the next few chapters might come out a lot quicker because I saved the chapters from the previous attempt at this story, so all I have to do is rewrite some things, do a little proofing and I'm done. So if the chapters are coming faster than expected, that's why.**

 **Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! If you want to share your thoughts, write up a great review, hit that favorite and follow button and I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	8. Oathkeeper Valentine's Special

**Jurabi: Haaaaaappy Valentine's Daaaay~! This is Espada 4 Jurabi here to bring you guys and gals the Valentine's Day Special chapter of One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates. YES! It's finally here! Man, I made the worst mistake by stopping this story in order for this special to be properly placed. The reason why we had such a long wait is because I didn't want to get in the middle of this upcoming arc only to suddenly plant this special out of nowhere throwing off the pacing. So I decided to have holiday specials like this be placed before the beginning of an arc.**

 **Now, I have three specials planned. One for this year. This year, there will definitely be a Christmas special. On the long term goals list, I have plans for "special" specials. In a lane man's term, I am planning two popularity contests.**

 **One of the popularity contests will be about which of our Oathkeeper pirates has the most love from all of us. This project isn't ready yet, but it will once we've reached the 10th member of the Oathkeeper pirates.**

 **The second popularity contest is going to be about the pairings on this story. I'm sure most of you are not aware, but Lazy and I have grown so attached to this story all the way back to the original, that we've been had pairings going on in our minds.**

 **Hell, Lazy's even come up with ship names. I'm sure you want to hear them. These names are lame, but they were inspired by the RWBY ship names like Whiterose and Bumbleby**

 **Belle/Ackmor: MetalDragon**

 **Yoshino/Sakuya: SingingArrow**

 **Thanks for the names, Lazy~!**

 **Now about the pairing popularity contest, that is a long-term project that is currently in the planning process so more details will be given later down the road.**

 **Now with all of that out of the way, please enjoy this Valentine's Special and have a happy Valentine's.**

* * *

 **One Piece: Valentines Special**

It was a sunny day out at the wide sea of the east blue as the Overseer Drago set sail on a different route from the Oathkeeper Pirates' destination.

Ackmor yawned loudly as he began to wake up in his room. He sat up and stares outside the window. After dressing himself up for the day, Ackmor went out on deck to notice that Belle was awake as well.

Belle sat at the edge of the ship with a fishing rod reared out into the blue ocean her chin rested on the palm of her left hand and her legs swung forward and back sometimes nicking the wood of the ship. "Come on...I know you love the bait so what are you waiting for…?" She muttered.

"Hey, Belle," Ackmor said as he walked up to his captain.

"Hey, Acky~." Belle greeted with a half smile.

"You caught anything yet?" Ackmor asked.

"Not a thing and I've been sitting here for hours," Belle said as she gritted her teeth in irritation

"Why don't you take a break then?" Ackmor asked. "It's getting pretty hot out here and you'll get a sunburn if you stay in the open like this any longer."

"But the thing is that I want to eat fish for dinner and Saku-chan's all out of fish for some reason." Belle said, "I don't know who stole our supply of food but once I get some cooked fish I'm gonna-" She was cut off when Ackmor stretched her cheeks again.

"That was probably you who "stole" our supply of food, Belle." Ackmor said, "I mean, how else could the fish have disappeared? Yoshino is a vegetarian, Sakuya refuses to eat her own amphibian species, and I don't like fish. Unless you point to Kaisetsu, I think the thief is you."

"Okay, okay, okay, you don't have to get all technical with me, Acky." Belle winced from the pain of her pulled cheeks.

"What was that?" Ackmor asked as he pulled even harder on her cheeks.

"Ow! Ow! Okay, I'm sorry. I ate all the fish." Belle confessed. "Now please let me go before you rip my lips!"

Ackmor lets go of Belle's cheeks, "As usual, the only thing on your mind is apparently food. What is with you and these eating habits?"

"I really can't help it, Acky~." Belle said, "Something just drives me to eat, you know."

"Drives you?" Ackmor asked as he tried to assess what Belle could possibly mean.

"It's hard to explain," Belle replied with a cheeky grin.

"I'll never understand your inhumane metabolism," Ackmor said with a sigh.

"Anyways, how close are we to the next island because I'm really starting to get hungry?" Belle said.

"Well, we should be close the island so just keep fishing or go do something else for the next hour," Ackmor told her.

"Acky, you know how I am when I don't have anything to do." Belle said, "I don't want to bother the others."

"Well, I'm afraid you're gonna have to." Ackmor said, "Why don't you ask Sakuya to teach you how to cook or something. That way, you won't be constantly asking her when your next meal is."

"Awwwww that's not fun! Saku-chan just loves talking about boys. Whenever I go in there ask for a snack she goes on about how masculine and handsome you and Yoshino are," Belle said.

"I don't even know how to reply to that," Ackmor said, "And I can't tell whether I should feel flattered or disturbed."

Then suddenly, Belle's forgotten fishing line began to wobble. "Whoa!" Belle shrieked as she struggled to pull in the fish. "It's a big one! Oh, it's definitely a big one! Yay~! We're going to have more fish, after all, AckAAAH~!" she cheered before she got pulled over the railing.

"BELLE!" Ackmor screamed as he rushed over and caught a tight hold onto Belle, who was still holding onto the rod, by the ankle. "Belle! Let go of the rod!"

"No way! I'm not losing our lunch! Now pull me up!" Belle ordered as she yanked at the line to reel the fish in.

"We can have lunch when we reach the island!" Ackmor argued, "I am not going to risk this fish of yours pulling us all the way to the Grand Line just so we can eat it!"

"What's all the racket out here…?" Kaisetsu asked with a yawn as she walked out of her room, "I was trying to get in a good nap."

"Belle's not listening to reason, Kaisetsu! Cut her line before we get dragged into the Calm Belt!" Ackmor yelled.

"Oh no, you don't!" Belle yelled at the fish as she sprouted her dragon wings and began to flap them in order to force herself up which added power to her pull. "Almost got it!" she cheered as she lifted the pole high up and slung the catch into the air. "Whoa...that's a huge fish!" Belle said as the giant catfish landed on the ship causing the weight to shift.

Ackmor and Kaisetsu crawled out from under the fish and glared at the grinning Belle.

"Mission accomplished!" Belle cheered before getting bonked on the head by Ackmor and Kaisetsu.

"Thanks for nearly sinking the ship, Captain!" Kaisetsu said sarcastically.

"Yeah, it's not like the rest of us wanted to live or anything!" Ackmor said sarcastically.

"Ow~! You guys didn't have to hit me that hard," Belle whined rubbing her head.

"We can hit you harder if that's what you want," Kaisetsu said.

"Come on, I know I can do some stupid things, but this wasn't the worst of them all," Belle said.

"If you know it's stupid than stop yourself from doing it!" Kaisetsu and Ackmor yelled.

"GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!" Sakuya shouted as she barged out of her room the happiest mood.

"Oh great now we got her started" Kaisetsu sighed as she felt an oncoming headache. "If someone needs me I'm heading up the crow's nest to sleep."

"Wait, Kaisetsu, you're not going to leave me with these two, are you?!" Ackmor asked.

"I'm sure you and Yoshino can handle it." Kaisetsu said, "You are the men of this crew."

 **"Why must you bring Yoshino into this?"** Momo questioned from beside a meditating Yoshino.

"Oh Yoshino-kun, would you like something refreshing to drink or perhaps a delicious dessert?" Sakuya asked with heart-filled eyes.

"No thank you. I would much rather sit here and relax my mind, but thank you for asking" Yoshino said through Momo.

"I guess he isn't in a good mood either," Ackmor said.

"Oh my darling prince Ackmor-kun, would you like a drink and a dessert as well?" Sakuya chimed.

"Nah…I think I'm going to eat something from the restaurants on the island we're heading to," Ackmor said.

Sakuya stopped and her happy face vanished when she took a look at the brooding faces on everyone in the crew. She was nothing short of shocked by how the crew was so bummed out, "Okay, what's going on?"

"What do you mean, Saku-chan?" Belle asked.

"Haven't you looked in a mirror lately?" Sakuya asked, "You all look like me whenever a handsome man turns down an offer to date but worse!"

"Is it really necessary to be all peppy like you are?" Ackmor asked, "Is this a special day or something?"

"Ackmor, today's Valentine's Day!" Sakuya said.

Yoshino winced a bit inside after hearing the word Valentine's Day, _"That day's here again?"_ He thought.

"I'm sorry, but what's Valentine's Day?" Ackmor asked.

"What?! You don't know what Valentine's Day is?!" Sakuya asked in complete shock.

"It's not a big surprise really," Belle said, "After all, Acky's still trying to regain his memories. Many things in this world are still new to him…especially the common human emotion that is love."

"Love?" Ackmor asked with confusion written on his face.

"Hehe, no need to fear my prince. You simply need to be taught the basics about Valentine's Day from Yours Truly." Sakuya said.

"No, he doesn't, Sakuya," Yoshino said through Momo. "We shouldn't be wasting our time with Valentine's Day."

"But if I don't teach Ackmor-kun, he'll never know and find that special girl waiting for him. Oh, I can just imagine it! Ackmor and the woman of his dreams having a family together!" Sakuya shouted squealing at the thought, "Now, Ackmor-kun. Let me start off by explaining what Valentine's Day is, so listen carefully."

"Sure," Ackmor says.

"Valentine's Day is a holiday that occurs on the fourteenth day of February each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, although it is not a holiday in most of them. Valentine's Day represents the love that is shared between two people. They give each other delicious chocolates, emotional love letters, beautiful flowers, and also, my most favorite of all, warm hugs and kisses. There's an island close by called Heart Moon Island, the perfect town that represents Valentine's Day. We could go shop for fabulous dresses, take our lovers out on dates, go dancing, have a romantic walk by the moon, the possibilities are endless! I know so much because my family always celebrates Valentine's Day with a burning passion and so will everyone on this ship, right guys?"

"Sounds boring," Belle said.

"Pass," Yoshino said through Momo.

"It's actually interesting," Ackmor said.

Sakuya's eye twitches showing how annoyed she is everyone's disregard for Valentine's Day. However, there was one thing her father taught her: It was to never back down when it comes to love. "Okay then…if I can't find a reason for you all to join…I'LL MAKE ONE!" She said as she ran at flying speed grabbing Kaisetsu's stack of books, Yoshino's Fujin Yumi, and Belle's hair pin and stuffed them all in a locked black crate!

"HEEEY! GIVE US OUR STUFF BACK!" The victims of the theft shouted trying to force the crate open, but the crate was made of Sea Prism Stone so Belle instantly fell from exhaustion while it was impossible for Yoshino to open it.

"What's with all the racket down there?!" Kaisetsu shouted from the crow's nest, "Who did what now?"

"Saku-chan stole my hair pin!" Belle shouted.

"She took my Fujin Yumi!" Yoshino shouted through Momo.

" **And she took your books, Kaisetsu"** Momo shouted.

"My books?!" Kaisetsu shouted as she jumped down to meet the Siren, "What the hell are you doing?! My favorite book better not be in there!"

"That's right," Sakuya said, "Only I know the password to unlock this safe." Sakuya gloated.

"Then open it then! My hair pin's in there! It was a birthday gift from Merry!" Belle shouted with an infuriated tone.

"Now, now, Captain. First, you have to enjoy Valentine's Day and find your true love on Heart Moon Island." Sakuya says with a smirk.

"I know my true love and it's behind that crate!" Belle shouted.

"Come on, everyone. Don't you think we've been working too hard? We all deserve a rest and besides…you all seem so lonely even when we're together. Deep down I know you all want that special someone to be with till the end of time…otherwise, you won't die happily." Sakuya said sadly.

The crew gives each other sympathetic looks.

"I'm sorry, Sakuya, but…I just can't do that," Yoshino said through Momo.

"But why not, Yoshino-kun?" Sakuya asked.

"I'm sorry, but I hate Valentine's Day," Yoshino said through Momo.

"What?" Ackmor asked, "You hate Valentine's Day?"

"...Yes, I do and I'd rather not talk about it." Yoshino said through Momo.

"But how can someone hate Valentine's day! It's the day of love and for young girls to live out a fantasy where they give the boy of her dreams a really thought-out love letter and homemade chocolate they put a lot of thought into!" Sakuya gushed with hearts in her eyes. "Or at least that's what my mom used to tell me when I was little."

Yoshino gritted his teeth as his temper suddenly reached its peak, "Enough, Sakuya. This holiday is a baseless, childish fairy tale that doesn't hold any actual meaning. It's a day that's supposed to mean something to goofy couples or little girls dreaming of a romance that will never become an actuality and it is nothing but a pointless, useless holiday that means absolutely nothing to me" Yoshino said through Momo as he let his amber eyes harden up a bit to show how serious he was. "...nothing...but terrible memories…"

"Yoshino-kun…" Sakuya said.

"I need to be alone…" Yoshino said through Momo as he quickly vanished into his room.

"Poor Yoshino…" Ackmor said.

"Are you okay, Sakuya?" Kaisetsu asked, "That couldn't have been easy to hear."

"No…I'm fine," Sakuya said, "It's a shame. I was planning something special for Yoshino-kun."

"...Are you sure you are?" Belle asked, "I may not be as attracted to males as you are, but most marine girls I know would turn into mush after something like that happened to them."

Sakuya turned to her giving her a forced smile. "I'm perfectly fine! I get turned down all the time so it's no big deal really."

"…On second thought," Belle said as she glanced at Kaisetsu and Ackmor, "How about we celebrate Valentine's Day for you?"

"You will?" Sakuya asked.

"Sure, maybe we can get puppet boy to join in too," Kaisetsu said.

"Adding to that, I'm very curious about how all this Valentine's Day stuff works," Ackmor said.

Sakuya smiled, "Thank you. You won't regret this, I promise. Now just leave everything to me. I've got a perfect schedule of what we should do on this list." She said showing them a list, "Let's first get to the island…then we'll have some shopping to do." She said with a singing tone.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Yoshino was sitting in his room now regretting the horrible things he said to Sakuya.

" _ **Yoshino, are you okay?"**_ Momo thought.

 _"I'm fine, Momo…"_ Yoshino thought.

" _ **No you're not,"**_ Momo thought, _**"It's written all over your face."**_

Yoshino let out an inaudible sigh as he stared at framed picture of him and his family, _"I hate it when people try to do kind things to me on this particular day."_ He thought, _"I feel so tempted into feeling happy...but I remember that I can't so much as crack a smile today."_

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

One full hour later, the Overseer Drago had arrived at a pink-colored island in the shape of a heart.

"Whoa...is this Heart Moon Island?" Belle asked, "It's so gorgeous."

"I'll say." Ackmor said, "As the name says, it is the island of love. It's most famous highlight is the Couple Festival which is held every Valentine's Day."

"I must say, I'm enjoying Valentine's Day already if we're celebrating it here," Kaisetsu said.

Sakuya smiled and turned to the group, "Okay, guys. We're going to go shopping for some neat outfits!" Sakuya said.

"Outfits?" Ackmor asked.

"You don't mean dresses, do you?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Indeed I do," Sakuya said.

"No~! I hate tight dresses~!" Belle whined.

"Oh stop that." Sakuya said not falling for her crocodile tears, "Nothing sets the love mood better than your appearance. You're going to look so dashing along with Ackmor-kun. You'll love it."

"…Fine!" Belle grumbled.

"Okay then, I'll take your word for it," Ackmor said.

"You ready everyone?" Sakuya asked, "Then let's go!" She shouted as the group left the Overseer Drago.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

The group walked around Heart Moon Island and looked at the many buildings to see if they have any clothes to sell. They finally found a clothing store and entered to see the clerk is a beautiful white haired woman.

"Ello my friends! Welcome to Danna's Valentina Clothing Store!" The woman said, "For I, Danna, will provide you with the best clothing money can buy!" The woman named Danna said as she turned to them and went wide eyed when she laid eyes on Belle, "I-It…cannot be…! AAAAAHHHH!" She let out an ear bleeding scream as she ran towards Belle.

"Uh…" Belle stepped back a few steps.

"Wait! Let me see!" Danna said as she pulled Belle closer. She examines her hair, "Tangerine hair…black eyes…That look…That aura…It is!" She came in closer to whisper, "You're the daughter of the Pirate King Monkey D. Luffy, are you not…Monkey D. Belle?"

Belle's eyes widened, "You know my father?!" She asks in shock.

Danna lets out a happy giggle, "I, Danna, have been acquainted with both your father and your mother! They shopped here for their Honeymoon! They were best customers especially when your mother took all my stock with the beri's she had!"

"She did…?" Ackmor asked.

"Even on her honeymoon Auntie Nami couldn't calm down, could she?" Kaisetsu asked.

Danna took a look at the two, "You…" She said looking directly at Kaisetsu, "Those eyes…That look of the devil in your eyes… Zoro and Robin's daughter, no, Roranoa Kaisetsu?" Danna asked as Kaisetsu nodded. "And you…you look like a rather dashing a young lad. Don't tell me these girls are all your dates."

"Dates?" Ackmor asked, "What are dates?"

"Oh ho ho my!" Danna laughed, "An oblivious one, no doubt."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Danna, but we're only here to shop for some clothes," Sakuya said, "I'm Sakuya Vinsmoke."

"Vinsmoke? You are a part of the Vinsmoke family?" Danna asked.

"Well…technically," Sakuya said, "My father is Sanji, but I'm actually adopted."

"Ah! Yes, the Straw Hats have returned anew! It is exhilarating to have such valuable customers in Danna's Valentina Clothing Store!" Danna says.

"We appreciate your welcome, Danna," Sakuya said. "As you can already tell, we're here to celebrate Valentine's Day.

"Ah then allow me the privilege of providing you with top-quality dresses! Come! Come quickly! I have so many outfits for you to wear! So many that fit you four perfectly for your time here on Heart Moon Island!" Danna said. "Ah, you'll have the perfect date as well with your loved one."

"Wait…date?" Belle asks.

"Ya! Date as your father did to your mother!" Danna says as she took her hand and dragged her deep into the clothing store.

"But I don't want to date anyone!" Belle shouts.

Danna lightly tapped Belle on the forehead, "BAKA! A girl your age is truly ripe to at least have a love of your life! IT IS YOUR DESTINY!"

"…You're lying through your teeth…" Belle said.

"YOU'RE ruining the satire!" Danna said.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

After many upon many hours of trial and error for finding a perfect outfit for the girls and Ackmor, Danna believes she has finally found the set for them.

"YOSH! These dresses fit you like magic. Unlike the previous Straw Hats, this crew is dominant in females which, yours truly, loves to death. Now, try these on. I absolutely guarantee that they will look fabulous on you!" Danna said as she gave the group the right clothes for them.

"To be honest, these outfits are a little tight on me," Ackmor said.

"See? Acky agrees with me," Belle said.

"Well they're supposed to be tight," Sakuya said, "The clothes we wear are casual and are made to make us casually comfortable."

"Miss Sakuya is right," Danna said, "You will get used to these clothes within an hour or two."

"Eh, might as well," Kaisetsu said.

After a few minutes, the four pirates exited the dressing room. Danna's eyes sparkled as she blushed at her finest work and how gorgeous and the girls and Ackmor looked. "If there were a title as King and Queen of Beauty…it would you four!"

"Thank you so much for these wonderful dresses, Danna," Sakuya said, "I hope he loves me in this one."

"Ooooh~! Does Miss Sakuya have a man she wants to impress?" Danna asked.

"You've read me like a book," Sakuya said with a blush.

"Please allow me to bless you with my perfume of love and he will enjoy the aura you give off," Danna said as she sprayed Sakuya with a perfume, "And before you ask, no! This is not a magical perfume."

"This is so uncomfortable…" Belle whined.

"Huh…this outfit isn't all that bad actually," Ackmor said.

"I feel like my dress is a bit revealing…" Kaisetsu said.

"That's enough chatter, everyone! Now go out there and show the world your beauty!" Danna said.

"We will! Thank you, Miss Danna!" Sakuya shouted as the group waved goodbye.

"Come back anytime darlings~!" Danna shouted as she waved goodbye.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Yoshino was sitting on the edge of the Overseer Drago trying his hardest to not look at Heart Moon Island.

"I wish I didn't hate this holiday so much…" Yoshino said to himself through Momo. "I really feel like I'm missing out." That was when Yoshino's stomach growled, "…I'm so hungry now too…"

" **You have no need to worry,"** Momo said, **"Sakuya will be back to cook you a meal."**

"I don't know, Momo," Yoshino said through Momo, "I don't think she would cook me anything after the things I've said to her…"

"Oh, Yoshino-kun~!" Sakuya's voice called.

" **You was saying?"** Momo asked.

Yoshino turned around and his eyes widened in complete shock. "S-Sakuya…?"

" **O-oooh…m-my…"** Momo said as he placed a paw over his mouth.

Sakuya was more beautiful than the one Yoshino last saw. She wore a black single shoulder strap dress with white flowers decorating it. She had black high heels with a real flower hair pin tying her hair into a ponytail with her purple lips. "So does this dress suit me, Yoshino-kun?"

"… **.Hot damn!"** Momo shouted.

"…I…I…" Yoshino didn't know what to even say. He eyed Sakuya from top to bottom, "Y-You l-l-look g-gorgeous…" He said through Momo as he turned around to hide his blush.

"Do you mean that?" Sakuya asked, "You turned around when you said it."

"Y-yes! I really mean th-that!" Yoshino said through Momo as he turned back around with his blush still painted on his face.

"Wow, I never expected to see you blush like that Yoshino," Ackmor said to Yoshino as he got onto the ship.

He was wearing a black tuxedo over a red dress shirt with a black striped tie, black dress pants, and black dress shoes.

" _ **That's what you're is missing out on, Yoshino~!"**_ Momo teased Yoshino in his mind.

" _Sh-shut up!"_ Yoshino thought.

"Let me help you girls, up," Ackmor said as he lifted Belle and Kaisetsu up onto the ship.

"Why thank you, Ackmor," Kaisetsu said, "You can be such a gentlemen."

Just like Sakuya, Kaisetsu had grown more beautiful. She wore a white dress that slightly reveals both sides of her curvy body that reached down to just above her knees with black stockings and red high heels. Though she didn't have any accessories, her face was so beautiful that it didn't need any for her black hair was braided in a messy ponytail that fitted her perfectly. "Ah, so this is how mother felt on her date with father…"

" **Humina humina humina humina humina…"** Momo whimpered at the sight of the beautiful lady before him.

"Ah!" Belle almost fell due to her high heels, but Ackmor managed to catch her, "Thanks, Acky~!"

Belle also went through the beauteous transformation. She wore a dark blue dress that reached to her knees with a white ribbon on her chest wearing blue high heels. She wears a red ring on her right index finger and a red necklace. Her hair was braided into a messy ponytail like Kaisetsu's. "Well…I still think this is tight and uncomfortable."

Kaisetsu giggled at the absolute shock-filled expression on Yoshino and Momo's faces, "I see this is the first time you've seen us like this, boys."

"Y-Yeah…" Yoshino admitted through Momo, "And so what?"

"So…would you like to come out of a stroll around the island?" Belle asked.

"I said it before and I'll say it again. I want nothing to do with Valentine's Day, period." Yoshino said through Momo.

"Well what you want doesn't matter right now," Belle said. "As a punishment for hurting Saku-chan's feelings earlier you're officially ordered to be her bodyguard for the day and make sure nothing bad happens to her" Belle said to him.

"What?! You can't be serious." Yoshino said through Momo as he places his hand on his stomach.

"Dead serious." Belle said, "Better to get the supplies now than later, plus we need to go eat somewhere."

"I'll be in the kitchen filling out the list of supplies we need to get," Sakuya said as she went into the kitchen.

"Captain's orders, Yoshi," Belle said.

"Why me…?" Yoshino asked through Momo as he face palmed.

"Come on, man, it's not that bad," Ackmor said as he noticed something odd about Yoshino, "Hey, are you okay? You're looking awfully pale."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Yoshino said through Momo, "Being near this island is having a negative effect on me."

"Well you better be careful now," Ackmor said.

"Hey Kai, are you coming with me and Acky?" Belle asked.

"I don't see why not," Kaisetsu said with a shrug.

"Awesome!" Belle shouted as she jumped onto Ackmor's back. "Okay, Acky let's go try out the candy stands!"

"Why do I have to carry you around?" Ackmor asked in shock.

"Giddy up, horsey!" Belle shouted as she kicked Ackmor on the back.

"Ow! Hey, I'm not a horse! Oh whatever," Ackmor yelled before he sighed and started walking away from the Overseer Drago with his giggling captain and Kaisetsu, who was finding amusement in watching the two bicker.

As Yoshino face palmed from his captain's childish nature, Momo let out a sigh. _**"Belle is a complete dork."**_ He thought.

 _"Just let it be Momo,"_ Yoshino thought, but then he started to stumble around a little. _"Let's just...get this day over with…"_

 _ **"Are you sure you're alright, Yoshino?"**_ Momo thought, _**"After all you-"**_

 _"I'll be fine…"_ Yoshino thought as he started to walk to the kitchen, _"Once this day is over I'll finally get some rest."_

Sakuya was in the kitchen facing away from the door writing down the names of ingredients she'll for their journey. "Let's see here... We need some more water barrels, meat, and fish for Belle..." she listed off while writing them down. "Hmmm I'll also pick up a lot of fresh vegetables and rice bean sprouts for Yoshino-kun to make an apology dinner for him tonight," she said humming to herself as she wrote down the rest of her list.

Yoshino paused as he entered the kitchen hearing Sakuya mentioned making him an apology dinner. The brown eyed archer felt another pang of guilt strike him when he realized how bad he truly made Sakuya feel.

 **"Hey, Sakuya-san~"** Momo cheered announcing their presence in the room.

"Oh, hello, Yoshino-kun, Momo." Sakuya said with a smile as she noticed that Yoshino looked a little pale, "Um, Yoshino-kun, are you alright? You look pale."

"I'm okay, Sakuya." Yoshino said through Momo, "It's just that this past hour hasn't been working out well for me…"

"Well, I'm sure you'll be fine now since everyone's probably going to enjoy their Valentine's' Day." Sakuya said, "No doubt Belle-san's taken Ackmor-kun."

"Yeah...she did along with Kaisetsu," Yoshino said through Momo.

 **"So Sakuya, you're going to be shopping for supplies, right?"** Momo asked.

"That's right," Sakuya said, "Between you and me, Yoshino-kun, you don't have to go. I'm okay going by myself. I don't want you going when this island is based on Valentine's day."

"No…I owe you an apology" Yoshino said through Momo as he looked down at the wooden floor, "I hurt your feelings when you were just trying to make me happy, so this is my way of apologizing."

"Oh, you didn't hurt my feelings at all, Yoshino-kun," Sakuya said with a smile.

"Don't try to hide how you truly feel." Yoshino said through Momo, "You probably hate me now for what I said before you guys left."

Sakuya stomped her foot and made Yoshino look up at her. "What are you talking about? If I let something as petty as my feelings cause me to hate people, I wouldn't have any friends at all. So you don't ever have to worry about me hating you Yoshino-kun. "

Yoshino looked closely at Sakuya and an image of another girl popped in his head. He sighed and turned to leave, "Sorry. I should have known better than to judge you like that. Let's get the supplies and be done with it."

"Sure thing." Sakuya said, "Just let me get my stuff first."

"Okay. I'll be waiting outside." Yoshino said as he left the kitchen.

 _ **"Yoshino, you were thinking about her, weren't you?"**_ Momo thought.

 _"There was one other girl who didn't hate me because of the things I've said."_ Yoshino thought, _"But that doesn't matter right now and please don't bring that subject up again."_

 _ **"...Right...sorry…"**_ Momo thought.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Yoshino and Momo waited for Sakuya by the mast of the ship.

"I'm ready, guys," Sakuya said as she walked out of her room.

Yoshino again blushed at the sight of Sakuya in her dress. "I can't get over that dress…" He muttered through Momo.

"Hm? Did you say something?" Sakuya asked.

"N-Nothing," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Oh, I see," Sakuya said with a smile, "I must admit. Danna did a splendid job picking this lovely dress for me. The downside, however, is that ugly men might drool over me like some hot babe or something."

 _"Something tells me that they'll still do that even if she dresses in a male's suit."_ Yoshino thought.

 _ **"She really doesn't like ugly men, does she?"**_ Momo thought.

Sakuya smiled at them. "Come along guys! We have a lot of shopping to get done!"

"Alright…" Yoshino said through Momo, but then he stumbled a bit again, "Ngh…"

"Yoshino-kun!" Sakuya shouted as she helped him regain his balance.

"I'm alright, Sakuya." Yoshino said through Momo, "This...uh...happens sometimes on Valentines' Day."

Hearing the statement made Momo raise an eyebrow, _**"What? Yoshino, it's okay to admit that you're hun-"**_ He thought before Yoshino shushed him in his mind.

 _"Not a word, Momo."_ Yoshino thought.

Sakuya helped Yoshino regain his balance feeling her eyes start to haze over a bit with worry. "Yoshino-kun...maybe you should stay here on the ship. I'll just tell Belle you went with me so you can stay here and rest up... that way the bad memories that are hurting you will go away."

"Memories? What memories?" Yoshino asked through Momo, though he had a feeling what she was talking about, "No it's just that I'm having an off-balance day. It's nothing to worry about, really."

"It's okay, Yoshino-kun. I don't want you to hurt yourself or push you into something you don't want to remember." Sakuya said. "My Dad told me that keeping memories you don't want to remember hidden can sometimes badly affect you until you're ready to confront them. You're not ready to confront yours so I understand. Just know when you are, I'll be there to listen to you."

"I...admire your concern for me, but I am positively fine." Yoshino said through, "We just need to get some stuff and be done with today. I can handle something as small as that."

Sakuya still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong as she sighed, "Very well, Yoshino-kun, we can go shopping together. Just... if there is a problem let me know and I'll help you."

"...Got it…" Yoshino said as the two left the Overseer Drago and went into the market street.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx** **xxxxX**

"Okay…" Belle said as she kept her sharp eye, "Give me...7!" She shouted as she rolled the two dice on the table. When the dice stopped, one showed 3 and the other 4. "YAHOOO! Pay up, fellows!"

"Damnit! That was the third time!" A gambler cried as he gave up his 500 beri.

"What's with this girl? She's like a gambling master." Another gambler said as he gave up his 500 beri's.

"Belle! What are you doing in there?!" Ackmor shouted from outside the bar.

"Well I'd love to stay and chat, but my navigator's waiting on me." Belle said as she stuck her tongue out in a cute manner, "Smell ya' later, boys~" She said as she ran outside to meet up with Ackmor and Kaisetsu. "I'm back, Acky~" She chimed as she held the bag full of beri's.

"Seriously? Gambling on Valentine's Day?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Oh come now, Kai." Belle said, "Money is the perfect Valentine's gift according to my mama and besides we can add this to the food budget. It's a universal fact that food is an even greater gift!"

Ackmor sighed, "But which do you love more? Shiny things or food?"

Belle clutched at her heart and look at Ackmor with teary eyes. "Don't make me choose! What kind of monster can decide between them!"

"Come on already. Let's go before you make homeless people out of these guys." Kaisetsu said.

"I could have been like Mom and taken everything they owned but I held back," Belle said hopping onto Ackmor's back again while snuggling into his hair. "Hey, Acky, did I ever mention how soft your hair is for an android?"

"In case you forgot," Ackmor started as he walked through town with Belle on his back, "An android is built to replicate the human body so of course, my hair would be soft."

"But I thought because you had mechanical and electrical wiring you couldn't take showers and stuff. So I was wondering how you could wash your hair and make it so soft and smell so nice?" Belle said.

"How am I supposed to know?" Ackmor asked, "I don't even know how I got to where I was when I met you." He said as he stopped, "Oh...and, by the way, thank you."

Belle cocked her head to the side confused, "Thank you? For what?"

"...Well, I just want to thank you. That's all." Ackmor said.

"Huh, now that you put it that way it sounds creepy," Kaisetsu said.

"What? Thanking a friend is creepy to you?!" Ackmor asked quickly losing his temper.

"Well, you did say it out of the blue! Why wouldn't we feel uncomfortable?" Belle asked.

"I swear I'm never going to understand humans if I have to deal with your flip floppy personality all the time!" Ackmor said.

"...So Acky." Belle said seriously.

"Hm?" Ackmor asked as he calmed down.

"Well, you've been with us for a while. Has your memory made any restoring progress yet?" Belle asked.

"Unfortunately, no." Ackmor said, "Why do you ask?"

"No reason. Just a captain showing concern for her navigator, that's all." Belle said. "After all, I did promise to help you restore your memory."

"Yeah, you did." Ackmor said as he looked up at the sky, "But there was one other thing I did remember a bit back."

"Really? What is it?" Belle asked.

"It's hazy...but I remember seeing another me," Ackmor said.

"Another you?" Belle asked.

"I know. It's weird." Ackmor said with a slight chuckle, "I mean, how can there possibly be another me? That's impossible."

"You know, that might actually be your twin brother." Kaisetsu assumed.

Ackmor turned back to her with a confused looked, "Huh?"

"Yeah, that could be your twin brother. Whoever made you could have made a second you that looks exactly like you. It's like me when I had my twin sister, Merry." Belle started to explain before trailing off as she started to remember her own twin.

"But why would my creator create another me?" Ackmor asked, "That doesn't make any sense."

"Who knows?" Belle asked as she rested her head on Ackmor's shoulder.

"Maybe it could mean you were born human and were turned into an android or it could they made copies of you," Kaisetsu said.

"…" Ackmor just stayed silent and thought about it. Could it be true that he was originally human and turned into what he was? If so, why did he suddenly appear on Foosha Island where he met Belle? Where does his story connect?

"Aw, what's with that face, Acky? Come on and show me a smile." Belle said with a smile.

"I swear…if you call me Acky again I'll gladly pull your cheeks until I rip them off your face," Ackmor said.

"Awww why would you do that? It's a cute nickname~ I call Kaisetsu Kai, Sakuya Saku-chan and Yoshino, Yoshi and Momo stupid bear so why can't I call you Acky?" Belle whines.

"It's a habit she picked up from her father," Kaisetsu said.

"..." Ackmor stayed silent as he thought about it for a while, "...Ugh...you basically _are_ your father, Belle. Are you going to be giving nicknames to all our future crew members?"

"Yep!" Belle said.

"Fine then listen, I'll let you call me by a nickname, but could you perhaps call me something else?" Ackmor asked.

"Well, your name pretty much sucks so it's hard to get any id-"

Ackmor pulled her by the cheeks angrily, "You gave me my name in the first place!" he yelled at her before he turned away to hide the small tint on his cheeks he didn't know he had. "And I happened to like it too"

"Oh, well I'm sorry. I was kinda out of line for saying that." Belle said, "I guess I've been with you so long that I felt that the name doesn't suit you anymore."

"It suits me just fine," Ackmor said as he cracked a smile.

"I'm curious, when did you two get to know each other so well?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Well, when I first arrived on Foosha Island and couldn't remember my own name, Belle gave me one and it felt right to me. So no matter how silly it may seem to others it's a name my first friend gave to me so I like it just the way it is."

"Ah shucks, Acky! All I did was give you a name." Belle said modestly while blushing a tad bit herself.

"You did more than just that, Belle." Ackmor said, "You made me feel like a living being. After discovering what I truly am, I felt as though I would never have what you humans have: A place in this world. Thank you for giving me just that."

Belle hugged Ackmor around his neck. "As long as you a member of this crew and my friend you'll always have a place to belong to Ackmor that I can promise you. And whether your old memories come back or not will never change that you're a part of the Oathkeeper Pirates. That is my word and my oath from me to you."

"And I, captain, will always guide to any destination in this world you desire and to always do what's best for you and our crew. That is my word and my oath from me to you." Ackmor declared to her.

"Hehe, I feel like I'm cutting into your alone time," Kaisetsu said.

"What? No, you're not, Kai," Belle said, "It's just…we talk to each other a lot. That doesn't mean you're any less important here."

"That's nice for you to say, Belle," Kaisetsu said, "Come on. We still have lots of stuff to look at." She said before she rushed ahead of them.

Belle and Ackmor shared a warm smile with each other as they continued to walk through town. As the two passed by a flower shop, an elder lady, who ran the shop, called for them to come over to her.

"Young couple come over her please" the flower shop owner beckoned.

Belle and Ackmor raised an eyebrow at her, but shrugged it off and walked over to her. "Yes, ma'am? Can we help you with something?" Ackmor asked.

"No, I don't need help with anything young man. I just called you two over her so I could give your lovely girlfriend these here Carnation flowers." The flower owner said smiling at them as she handed Belle the flowers. "These flowers represent blooming love and you're the first young couple I've seen today that has shown genuine love for each other."

"Love?" Ackmor asked.

"Well thank you, ma'am." Belle said as she smelled the flowers, "They smell so wonderful."

"I'm very glad you're enjoying them." The flower shop owner said with a smile. "Please have a wonderful Valentine's, my dears, and it was a pleasure to meet you both," she said kindly before walking back into her store.

"What a kind lady." Belle said, "I wonder if my grandmother, Bellemere was like that to my mother."

"Belle, she said love," Ackmor said looking at his captain with a confused look on his face.

"Yep, she sure did," Belle said with a cheeky grin.

"What's love?" Ackmor asked.

Belle paused in sniffing the flowers to look at her android navigator before going into deep thought. "Love... Love is a feeling you have... Well, actually there are a lot of ways people explain what love is, but there's no definite answer on what it really is." she tells him resting her head on top of his as she played with the Carnation flower.

"Well then…what is love to _you_?" Ackmor asked wanting to know what this feeling of love really is.

"Me? Well…" Belle said as she thought about it, "Love to me is the love I want to share with the world."

"What do you mean by that?" Ackmor asked.

"Hehe, sorry Acky, but I don't like revealing all of my secrets. Let's just leave it at that." Belle said.

Ackmor sighed at her cryptic words and use of his new nickname. "You're a weird one...Hime"

"Huh? Hime?" Belle asked in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"It's the nickname you're dad called you. Princess, wasn't it?" Ackmor asked, "I read a book on foreign languages and Hime was what stood out for me so I figured I would call you that from now on."

"Hime…" Belle said as she gave a big smile, "Works for me!"

"Oh, crap! We lost Kaisetsu!" Ackmor shouted.

"Hurry up, Acky!" Belle shouted, "Full speed ahead~!"

"You don't even know where she is?!" Ackmor shouted as they ran off to find Kaisetsu.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Yoshino was walking behind Sakuya as she shopped about in the market. A noticeable tick mark was on the archer's head as he watched the ship's cook chat and giggle with shop keepers that fit her quota of cute and handsome. Why this bothered Yoshino he didn't know, but it angered him when Sakuya was asking genuine questions about the food she was buying the men would just stare down her top and try to grope her rear when she turned away to place her purchases in her bag. If Yoshino didn't send death glares at the men they would have succeeded on touching her inappropriately.

 _"Damn dirty perverts…"_ Yoshino thought venomously as he continued to watch out for Sakuya as she placed food into her bags.

 _ **"Momo doesn't see why this bothers you so much, Yoshino. Wasn't it you who turned down Valentine's day and made Sakuya sad?"**_ Momo thought.

 _"Didn't you hear Belle? I was told to be Sakuya's bodyguard."_ Yoshino thought, _"What did you think I was doing?"_

 _ **"Being an overprotective and jealous boyfriend?"**_ Momo answered with a sly smirk.

Yoshino grabbed Momo by the throat and started shaking him. _"Don't even joke like that ever again!"_

Sakuya looked behind to see Yoshino strangling Momo and was confused by his weird behavior never seeing Yoshino act this way before. "Umm...Yoshino-kun? Is everything okay?" she asked.

"…." Yoshino released Momo.

 **"Yoshino...nearly….killed Momo!"** Momo coughed. **"He's a psycho!"**

"You would have lived...if I decided to let go in time," Yoshino said through Momo. "Yes, everything is fine, Sakuya, we were just having a little disagreement about something. It's nothing to worry about."

"You say that, but you were just choking a friend." Sakuya said as she placed the bags down to check Momo, "Are you alright, Momo? Is your breathing okay?"

Momo smirked evilly at Yoshino before putting on his best wounded and teary eyed face. **"Wahhh Sakuya-san! Yoshino was being so mean to Momo~!"** he cried burying his face in her chest as she rubbed his back.

"Oh, my. You poor thing I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding, but that doesn't mean you can bully each other. Friends should never fight with each other" Sakuya said as she hugged Momo closely.

"Momo! What the hell are you doing?!" Yoshino said through Momo.

"What do you mean Yoshino-kun? He's not doing anything wrong." Sakuya said letting him go. "Now you two make up while I finish up the shopping," she said picking up her bags and walking off.

Yoshino's eyebrow twitched as he glared at the snickering Momo.

 _ **"Upupupupu they were a lot softer than Momo thought they would be,"**_ Momo thought as he gave his partner a smirk.

"Oh really? Well how about I show you something a lot softer than that." Yoshino said with a smile that then turned into a face of rage, "This wall!" He shouted as he tried Momo up against the wall.

 **"If you do that Sakuya-san will be upset again and comfort Momo in his time of pain!"** Momo said quickly to escape the impact on the wall.

Yoshino stopped a centimeter before slamming Momo face first into the wall. "You're going to pay for this later," he growled as he quickly followed after Sakuya.

After Sakuya had bought all the items they needed, they went outside the store to figure out where to go next.

"So, should we head back to the ship, Yoshino-kun?" Sakuya asked.

"Y-Yeah!" Yoshino said through Momo as the two were carrying heaving bags.

"Okay, it should be this way right!" Sakuya said pointing towards the candy market.

Yoshino's stomach growled when he saw the wide range of food there, _"No…I cannot allow myself to give into the temptation!"_ He thought as they head through the candy market.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Kaisetsu continued to walk down the streets of Heart Moon island alone after realizing that she had lost Belle and Ackmor, "Great, where could those two be?" She asked as she found herself in a dead end of an alleyway, "Where even am I?"

The Roronoa woman rubbed her temples and sighed as she walked back out of the alleyway, "Why in the world did I have to gain my father's bad sense of direction…? I'd rather have his sleeping habit than his terrible direction."

"Excuse me, young lady, but could I have a moment of your time," An elderly voice asked.

Kaisetsu looked to her right and saw an old man blind man holding a wooden staff sitting at a table. "Are you referring to me, sir?" She asked politely.

"Yes," The elderly man said, "I can't see you, but I have the ears of a fox. I do hope I'm not taking you out of your free day or anything."

Kaisetsu smiled as she walked over to the man, "Not at all. I'm just looking for my friends, that's all."

"So you are all alone on Valentine's," The old man asked.

"Well, if you're talking about friends then no," Kaisetsu said.

"No, I mean do you not have a Valentine's?" The elderly man asked.

"…What if I say that I don't?" Kaisetsu asked.

"No need to hide it from me, young lady," The old man said with a smile, "I heard your heartbeat change when I asked the question."

"Heh, I pity whoever plays cards with you," Kaisetsu said, "Anyway, what can I do for you?"

"I would say that it's what I can do for you, young lady," The old man said, "I may not look it, but I am known as the love guru."

"A love guru?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Love gurus are people who can see into other people's hearts and either predict or identify the one person they hold nearest to their heart," The old man explained, "Such talent cost a fortune, but I'm not like most guru's on Valentine's. Whenever I see a lonely person, I'm just driven to see into their hearts and tell them that they are indeed loved free of charge."

"That's quite an interesting story, sir," Kaisetsu said as she sat down at the table, "So could you please look into my heart, love guru?"

"Of course," The old guru said, "Please extend your hands."

Kaisetsu did as the guru told her and extended her hands and allowed him to touch them.

"Now, close your eyes and clear your mind," The old guru instructed as Kaisetsu closed her eyes, "Now, think about the ideal person you would spend the rest of your life with."

Kaisetsu did just that. In her mind, she pictured a boy with jet-black hair with the eyes of a hawk. Remembering him put her heart at ease but also brought back painful memories.

"I see…" The old guru said, "Your heart does belong to someone."

"So, can you guess my story," Kaisetsu asked curious to see how much the guru knows.

"Your story was not a happy one, especially with the boy whom your heart belongs," The guru said, "Both of you grew close to one another until someone from the dark separated you. What happened to the boy is unknown to you, but your goal is to find him again. Have I read your heart correctly?"

"Yes, you did," Kaisetsu said with a smile. "I'm impressed, sir, and that doesn't happen often."

"I'm glad to hear it," The guru said, "About the boy, he's one with hawk eyes, correct?"

"Yes," Kaisetsu said.

"I have something unfortunate to tell you, he came by last week," The guru said.

"H-He did?!" Kaisetsu asked in shock, "Where did he go?! What was he doing here?"

"I'm afraid I don't know," The guru said, "I must warn you, young lady, that boy is no longer the same boy you grew up with."

"What? What do you mean?" Kaisetsu asked feeling her heart beat as she listened to the guru's warning.

"I asked to feel his heart and for the first time, I did not feel any sign of love," The guru explained, "There was nothing but pain and suffering. It's as if he is trapped inside a prison in his soul."

"…Kadiri…" Kaisetsu whispered feeling her tears begin to form in her eyes, "…Thank you for giving me this information, sir."

"I'm happy that you have a loved one, young lady," The guru said, "Never give up. You'll find him one day and when you do, maybe he'll change for the better."

"I hope so too," She said as she took out a pouch of beris and placed them on the table before she began to leave, "Happy Valentine's Day, sir, thank you for your time."

"No, thank you for your time," The old man said as he waved goodbye.

"Now…where the hell are those two?" Kaisetsu asked as she continued to walk through the streets of Heart Moon Island.

"KAISETSU!" A voice shouted.

Kaisetsu turned around and saw Belle and Ackmor running towards her, "There you two are. I hope you didn't get lost."

"Hah! You're so funny, Kai," Belle said, "But we all know about your crappy direction sense."

"Sh-Shut up!" Kaisetsu shouted as she hid her blush.

"Belle, you didn't have to put it so bluntly," Ackmor said.

"I know, Acky, but Kai is okay with me being blunt sometimes," Belle said, "So what were you doing when we were trying to find you, Kai?"

"Well, I met with a love guru and had him try and guess my love life," Kaisetsu said.

"Your love life?" Ackmor asked.

"Really?!" Belle asked getting excited, "So who is it?! Is it a strong and muscular man or is it an adorable girl?!"

"It doesn't matter because the guru was wrong," Kaisetsu lied.

"What? But love guru's are never wrong," Belle said.

"Well, this one was…" Kaisetsu said.

"Does that mean you're alone for Valentine's Day?" Ackmor asked.

"Yes I technically am, Ackmor," Kaisetsu said before she patted Belle's head, "But I don't mind as long as I have you guys, Sakuya, Yoshino, and Momo."

"Yeah, but surely you have someone you love more than even your own nakama, right?" Belle asked.

"Hehe, I wouldn't go that far, Belle," Kaisetsu said as she put on a sad smile, "Even if I did, I doubt things would feel the same…"

"What do you mean?" Ackmor asked.

"Oh, don't pay any mind to my rambles," Kaisetsu said, "How about we explore this place more before the sun sets?"

"Sure thing," Belle said, "Let's head on towards the plaza! I saw some of those funnel cakes I want Acky to try!"

"Okay, but would you stop bouncing?!" Ackmor shouted, "You're making it harder to carry you!"

"No pain, no game, Acky~!" Belle said.

Kaisetsu smile as she watched her friends' banter, _"Kadiri…I hope you have a Happy Valentine's too wherever you are."_ She thought.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Sakuya, Yoshino, and Momo were on their way back to the ship through the candy market.

"Well, this was an eventful outing. I bought plenty of food to hold the crew over until we make it to the next island. I even picked up a new kitchen set~" Sakuya giggled as she skipped ahead of Yoshino and Momo as they carried the water barrels.

 **"S-S-Soo...heavy…"** Momo whined.

"That's what you get for that crap you pulled," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Are you two fighting again?" Sakuya asked as she looked back at them.

"No! No, we're not!" Yoshino said through Momo.

"Oh okay~," Sakuya said smiling sweetly at they before turning back to face the pathway that leads to the ship humming to herself. "You know...even though today didn't go the way I wanted, I'm glad I at least got to spend it with you, Yoshino-kun."

"You are?" Yoshino asked, "You're not hiding your feelings again, are you?"

"No way." Sakuya said, "I really am glad that I spent today with you. It's not a date, but it's something I can cherish forever."

"But why? I hurt your feelings and if Belle didn't order me to go with you then I wouldn't have gone so why is it something you cherish?" Yoshino asked through Momo not understanding the Siren's logic.

Sakuya stopped skipping and looked over to see a full bloom Sakura tree that was shining in the rays of the setting sun. "It's true my feelings were a little hurt when you turned me down and said the things you said about Valentine's day. At first, I didn't understand why someone could hate such a pretty holiday until I thought about what this day could mean to someone to make them hate it" she said watching Sakura petals fall from the tree.

"What do mean by that?" Yoshino asked through Momo feeling uncertain about what the siren was talking about.

"Today marks something painful that occurred in your past. It's something that bothers you constantly and causes you immense pain and for that I'm sorry that day exist for you" Sakuya said softly as the wind picked up making the Sakura petals dance around her and pulling her hair back as she looked at Yoshino with a smile. "But even though today reminds you of pain I decided I want to change that so if I can when this day comes back around I can maybe erase the pain it brings and bring you a little bit of happiness instead."

"...No, Sakuya. I should be the one apologizing." Yoshino said through Momo, "I never really told you what day that horrible event occurred."

"Wait…" Sakuya said as she remembered Yoshino's talk with Carl back on the Gecko Islands, "You mean-?!"

"Yes, you remember my conversation with Carl, don't you? Valentine's Day is the day when my mother sacrificed herself to save me from a pirate," Yoshino confessed through Momo as he looked down at the ground, "That's why I can't be happy on this specific day because all I think about is what I could have done to save her and how much I miss her along with my sister."

"Yoshino-kun…" Sakuya whispered as tears fell down her eyes.

"Sakuya, you don't have to pity me or do some long speech about how sad you think it is because I've always lived with this pain. It's not something that can just go away with words and-" He was cut off when Sakuya hugged him.

"If not with words…*sniff* Then with my heart then." Sakuya declared as she hugged him tightly as few tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Sakuya…" Yoshino said through Momo as he returned the hug. He then felt his own tears fall down his cheeks, "Please don't cry for me...I don't want you to be sad."

"Why shouldn't I cry? My very dear friend is hurting and I can't do anything to help him so of course, I'm going to cry! Crying helps eases a wounded heart" Sakuya said to him as she held onto him tighter.

"I'm so sorry…" Yoshino said through Momo, "About the things I've said and for rejecting your offer. I did all of that...because those were the last things my mother and sister did with me. For the first time, I was so afraid of the pain and I didn't know...why…" He said through Momo as his vision started to grow hazy.

"Yoshino-kun…" Sakuya said as she noticed his skin growing colder, "Yoshino-kun?"

"Sakuya...I...I wished...I hadn't…" Yoshino whispered through Momo before he fell to the ground.

 **"Oh no! Yoshino!"** Momo shouted.

"Yoshio-kun?! Yoshino-kun!" Sakuya screamed as she rolled him over onto his back to see how pale he was and how little his heart rate was. "Yoshino-kun please open your eyes!" she cried bending down to see if he was breathing.

"…S-so…hungry…" Yoshino breathed.

"Oh no…Yoshino-kun, how long has it been since you've eaten?!" Sakuya asked.

"I…haven't even had breakfast…" Yoshino said through Momo.

"Really…but I told you that breakfast was ready when I was done cooking it this morning," Sakuya said as she lifted Yoshino up and placed him on a nearby bench.

"…I'm sorry, but after I said all those horrible things to you, I felt like I didn't deserve your kindness," Yoshino said through Momo. "You spent our whole time together giving and giving only to me and I've done nothing in return…"

Sakuya grew angry at Yoshino's recklessness and cupped his cheeks so he could look at her in her purple eyes, "That's enough out of you, Yoshino-kun. Stop talking about hurting me when you didn't mean too!"

"Sakuya…" Yoshino said through Momo.

"I can't believe that is the reason you neglected to eat the food I worked hard at making," Sakuya said, "Wait here. I'll buy you something to eat that isn't chocolate. Momo, take care of him until I get back!" She said before she went to a food stand.

" **Roger!"** Momo shouted before he let out a snicker, **"You're is really lucky to have such a fiery girl be so head over heels in love with him."**

"…Ugh…." Yoshino moaned as his vision began to blur.

"Yoshino?" Momo asked.

Across from Yoshino was a lady who was holding a plate of a chocolate dessert, "Hello, would you like to sample our special chocolate raspberry tower?" The lady asked a passing customer.

Yoshino slowly got up and began to slowly limp towards the samples lady, "…H-hungry…"

" **Y-Yoshino? What are you doing?!"** Momo asked. **"We're supposed to be waiting for Sakuya!"** It only took a second until Momo realized what Yoshino was planning to do, _**"Y-Yoshino! Wait! If you eat that, you'll-"**_

"Oh hello, sir," The sample lady said as she noticed Yoshino walking up to her, "Would you like a sample of our special chocolate raspberry tower?"

A few minutes later, Sakuya returned to the bench where she left Yoshino and Momo with two packs of cinnamon buns, "Yoshino-kun~! I'm back!" She shouted.

"Sakuya-san!" Momo screamed.

"Momo?" Sakuya asked as she approached the two and noticed that Yoshino was hunched over with a plate in his hand, "Yoshino-kun, what's wrong?" She then noticed the dark-brown crumbs on the plate Yoshino had, "No…is that?" She quickly gave the crumb a taste and her eyes widened in horror as she grabbed Yoshino's shoulder, "Yoshino-kun! You didn't eat chocolate, did you?!" She asked remembering what Yoshino had told her of his feelings towards chocolate.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _"Well I won't make a mistake like that again, I assure you. By chance, do you have any allergies I should be aware of?" Sakuya asked._

 _"I'm allergic to chocolate," Yoshino said through Momo._

 _"Chocolate, huh? Well, that limits me on the cakes I could make for you…" Sakuya said._

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Sakuya's eyes widen in horror when Yoshino suddenly started wheezing and coughing harshly.

"Yoshino-kun!" Sakuya screamed.

Soon, all of Yoshino's wheezing began to catch the attention of many people thus causing a crowd to form around them.

"Excuse me, but is your friend alright?" A woman said.

"Please! Someone call a doctor," Sakuya screamed as worried tears ran down her cheeks, "My friend has chocolate allergies!"

The people wasted no time calling for the doctor, but Yoshino's condition continues to decrease rapidly.

"The paramedics should be on their way soon," A man said.

"Look, he's getting worse!" A woman shouted as everyone saw Yoshino's skin begin to turn blue.

"Yoshino-kun!" Sakuya shouted.

" _ **Oh no, can't those doctors get here any faster?!"**_ Momo thought.

"Sakuya..." Yoshino wheezed out, "I...I'm so sorry…I really am…a screw-up" He said before he passed out.

Sakuya's eyes lost their color when Yoshino's body went cold, "N-no…Y-Yoshino-kun…YOSHINO-KUN!"

"… _ **No…Yoshino…"**_ Momo thought, _**"Please speak to me…"**_

"Please...someone has to help him...someone please save Yoshino-kun" she cried as tears fell from her eyes.

Close by where the crowd had gathered, was a lone figure who was just passing by. Seeing the distress on Sakuya's face tugged at the figure's heart.

 _ **"Momo knew this was going to happen! Momo knew he should have watched over Yoshino more closely! Why didn't Yoshino listen to Sakuya when she told him to rest!"**_ Momo yelled at the unconscious Yoshino wanting his friend to wake up. _**"Yoshino! Speak to Momo, please!**_

"Yoshino-kun…" Sakuya sobbed as she held Yoshino's body as close as she possibly could.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but may I try and help your friend," asked a voice from behind.

"Huh?" Sakuya asked as she turned around to see a girl figure covered in a black cloak.

"What happened to him?" The girl asked.

"Who are-"

"We don't have time. What happened here?" The girl demanded, "I need to know quickly if you want him to live."

"Y-Yoshino-kun, he has a chocolate allergy," Sakuya said trying to wipe the tears off her face but failed.

"Chocolate allergy," The girl said as she took out a medical bag, "That's a rare allergy I never thought I'd treat."

"You're a doctor," Sakuya asked.

"Well…not like professional doctors, but I've treated a few diseases and illnesses," The girl said, "Enough about me, though. I need everyone to give me some space!" She shouted. The crowd gave her enough room as she pulled out a sterile needle and a clear bottle.

"What is that?" Sakuya asked.

"It's a shot of epinephrine or, in this case, adrenaline" the girl explained sticking the needle in Yoshino's arm after wiping down a spot with a sterile wipe. "How long has it been since he ate the chocolate and started showing signs of fatigue?"

"A few minutes ago, is my guess," Sakuya said, "He didn't have the plate the chocolate was on when I left him."

"That's good," The girl said, "If he had eaten a few hours ago he would have been dead." She said bluntly.

"Wait…so Yoshino-kun," Sakuya said.

"He isn't dead…" The girl said.

" _ **That's a relief,"**_ Momo thought as Sakuya's face brightened up with hope.

"…not yet at least," The girl said, "His brain's shut down due to the lack of oxygen thanks to his neck swelling up. What's _really_ going to kill him is not having oxygen in his brain, but I haven't lost a patent yet and I'm not starting now!"

"Please, can I help in any way!" Sakuya asked, "I want to save Yoshino-kun too!"

"I was about to ask that," The girl said finding joy in the fact that the girl clearly loves the boy, "I need your help with this one, so when I ask for something from my bag hand it to me, okay?"

"Right," Sakuya said as she grabbed the girl's bag and got herself ready.

"Hehe, get ready everyone, because you're about to see a live action surgery," The girl shouted, "I'm going to have to start by opening a passageway in his throat...hand me my scalpel knife. We're going in..." she said

With that being said the mystery doctor and Sakuya began to work quickly on Yoshino. Opening up his throat to where she could fit a vent for him to breathe while putting a stomach pump down his throat to clear out the contents of his stomach. The process was long and very critical but through effort and teamwork, the two were able to clean out his stomach of the chocolate.

"Is he going to make it?" Sakuya asked tentatively as she watched the mystery doctor remove the pump and ventilator.

"I did all I could for him. The rest will be up to him and if you can get him to a hospital in time. There's only so much I can do in the middle of an avenue full of candy shops," the girl told her before pulling out a water bottle. "But if I had to place a bet on him, I'll believe he'll make it. Just tell him not to do anything this stupid again."

As she opened the water bottle, Sakuya watched at the mystery doctor made the water come out of the bottle and cover her hands before she placed them over the incision in Yoshino's throat. With widened eyes, Sakuya watched as the hole began to close along with the incision some of the scars around his neck began to fade as well.

" _Sh-she can control water like me,"_ Sakuya thought in shock.

"There that'll help him for now. I can hear the sirens now meaning the doctors are going to be arriving soon," The mystery doctor said, "I'll be taking my leave now. It was a pleasure working with you, and I hope your friend makes a full recovery" She said as she picked up her medical bag and began to leave.

"Wait! I cannot thank you enough for your kindness," Sakuya said, "May I please have your name so I can tell Yoshino-kun about you?"

"Sorry, but I'm just a lowly wandering doctor. Although…if you need a name then just call me your little butterfly," she said before quickly running off as the ambulance bubble cart was pulling up.

Sakuya bowed to the girl respectfully, "Thank you, Little Butterfly! There's no way I could ever repay you!"

Momo breathed a sigh of relief, _**"Little Butterfly sure has an amazing talent."**_ He thought.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Safely hidden in the trees the mystery doctor watched the medical team placed Yoshino onto their cart and rush him to the hospital with Sakuya right there by his side.

She let out a sigh, "Fiddlesticks…that boy should have known better than to eat something that would trigger his allergy. I don't know what his intentions were, but he scared that girl like a moron. When he wakes up, he better be a man and apologize."

Before the girl could turn around and leave, her mini den-den mushi began to ring.

"Hello?" she answered.

 _"Finally you answer, Tamiko! I was worried sick about you! You promised to call me when you made it into the East Blue and not a day after,"_ yelled a high pitch voice.

"Sorry sensei, but please keep it down," the girl whispered as she looked around to see if anyone was hearing in, "I'm trying to keep my identity a secret. I know I promised to call, but when I got to Heart Moon Island I couldn't help myself. The sweets here are amazing, but nothing like the Candy Island I dream of finding. I also kind of got busy saving a few lives because idiots forgetting their chocolate allergies and needed medical treatment."

 _"Fine, I'll excuse you for it this time, just hurry back to the Grandline. I've got a new assignment for you. There's an island in need of a good doctor and you're just the girl for it"_ the caller said.

"Which island is it, sensei?" the girl asked.

 _"Head for Drum Island, for now, I'll give you more details on the island then. Also please be careful I don't need you getting lost or hurt."_ the caller said.

"No worries sensei. I made it to East Blue perfectly fine so I'll make it back just as easily. I'll talk with you as soon as I get back into the Grandline," the girl said.

 _"You better. Take care and I'll see you soon."_ the caller said ending the transmission.

"Okay. See you soon, Sensei~," the girl said putting up her den-den mushi. "Well, later East Blue. It was nice being here" she said before heading down to the docks where her ship was waiting for her.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

A few hours later, Yoshino opened his eyes and clenched his head in pain, _"Ow…"_ He thought as he looked around and saw that he was in a hospital. _"Is this…?"_

 _ **"Yoshino?"**_ Momo called as he woke up from sleeping beside Yoshino.

 _"Momo? What happened to me?"_ Yoshino thought as he inspected his surroundings to see himself laying on a hospital bed and when he turned his head he saw Sakuya laying her head down by his side holding his free hand while Belle and Kaisetsu slept on the couch in the corner of the room and Ackmor rested in the chair by the window. _"Everyone's here?"_ He thought.

 _ **"What is Momo going to do with you, Yoshino?"**_ Momo thought, _**"Yoshino put himself at death's door, and for what?! So that he would be able to make Sakuya feel better?!"**_

 _"I just wanted to stop hurting... hurting myself and others,"_ Yoshino thought.

 _ **"Well, if you was trying to do that then you failed miserably! Sakuya stayed up all night crying on your bed blaming herself because she wasn't looking out for him,"**_ Momo yelled at him.

 _"I never meant to make her feel like this was her fault..."_ Yoshino thought as he let out an inaudible sigh, _"Great now I feel even worse than when I ate the chocolate,"_ Yoshino thought staring out the window. _"The crew's probably going to hate me after this..."_

Yoshino felt the small hand in his tighten onto him making him turn to look at Sakuya to see tears coming out of her close eyes.

"Please... ***Sniff*** be okay...Yoshino-kun" Sakuya whispered in her sleep holding onto Yoshino's hand tighter.

Yoshino did not say anything and instead closed his hand on Sakuya's to hold onto it as well.

"Yoshi?" A voice called as Yoshino looked up to see Belle awake.

"Belle…" Yoshino said through Momo as he looked down with guilt, "I'm…"

"Oh thank goodness! You had us really worried about you!" Belle shouted as she shook Kaisetsu, "Kai! Acky! Yoshi's awake!"

Kaisetsu groaned at being forced awake. With a yawn and a stretch, she sat up to look at Yoshino. "Glad to see you awake, puppet boy. Maybe now the flirty siren won't try and drown us in tears anymore" she teased smiling at the two.

"Yoshino, you shouldn't have eaten something you were allergic to. That was very dumb of you to do that," Ackmor scolded, "You scared all of us half to death."

During all the commotion, Sakuya opened her eyes and looked up at Yoshino. "Y-Yoshino-kun?"

"Hey, Sakuya..." Yoshino said through Momo. "I'm so sor-"

"Thank goodness you're okay! I was so scared we lost you!" Sakuya cried hugging him tightly. "I'm so sorry I made you feel guilty for hurting my feelings. I should have been more considerate and not forced this holiday on you!" Sakuya babbled between her tears., "I was the only person on this crew who knew about your allergy and didn't do everything possible to keep you away from them! And as a trained cook, I should have seen the symptoms of hunger that would force any person to eat food they're allergic to! I've really failed as a cook! Please forgive me Yoshino-kun!"

"Sakuya, please don't cry. It's not your fault, Sakuya." Yoshino said through Momo, "It's mine for not telling you my reasoning for hating this holiday. It just hurts to think about it. I'm sorry everyone. I really ruined your Valentine's Day."

"As long as you're going to be okay then this day wasn't ruined, in my opinion," Kaisetsu said. "Look puppet boy we all have parts of our pasts we don't wanna talk about. Not everyone is opened about what hurts them. Even us. That's why we can't really be mad at you for not telling us about that part of your past, but we _can_ be mad at you for doing something stupid that almost cost you your life."

 **"That's right. Yoshino's lucky help came to him in time."** Momo said.

"The doctors were really amazed by the medical skills of this Little Butterfly that Saku-chan told them about," Ackmor said, "They said if you're stomach wasn't emptied of the chocolate you wouldn't have made it."

"Little Butterfly?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

" **Yes,"** Momo said, **"Little Butterfly came out of nowhere and started treating you quickly. Momo never saw her face and she didn't give us her name, but whoever she is, she's the one to thank for saving your life."**

"That must be her alius or something. Strange to think a doctor wouldn't give their name." Kaisetsu mentioned.

"Who cares? She saved Yoshino-kun's life and that all that matters to me," Sakuya said hugging Yoshino again.

"...Thanks, everyone," Yoshino said, "I guess...it's time to put the past behind me. That might lift some weight off my shoulders."

"If that's going to make you feel better than I'm fine with that," Sakuya said as she tightened her hug. "Just please tell me if there are any other allergies you have that I can watch out for."

"I will, Sakuya," Yoshino said as he returned the hug with a smile as a thought went into his mind. _"For the first time in forever, I finally got to smile on Valentine's Day."_

* * *

 **Jurabi: And that's it. That's the Valentine's Special for all of you, my faithful readers. I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting. Next time, I'll try my best to get the timing just right so there won't be a long waiting period and the Christmas special won't be put in the middle of an important arc.**

 **Now I'm sure you're all wondering who Little Butterfly is. Well let's just say…she's an old friend of mine. ;)**

 **Oh and who is Kadiri you ask? Well…that's for me to know and for you to wonder about. ;)**

 **Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this lovely chapter that, hopefully, sparked you inner-shipping! If you want to share your thoughts, write up a great review. And if you haven't already, hit that favorite and follow button for both the story and myself! I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	9. Towa Island

**Previously on One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates…**

 _ **"Don't worry. We'll use the money Franky gave Belle to buy the Sound Plugs," Ackmor said.**_

 _ **"What?!" Belle asked, "Didn't you say you would teach me how to save on money, Acky~?!"**_

 _ **"I did," Ackmor replied, "And here's the first tip to saving money: Spend it on the stuff you need before the stuff you want like meat."**_

 _ **"But I neeeeeed meat~!" Belle whined as she hugged Ackmor, "I need them or I'll explode~! That happens to me sometimes…"**_

 **And now…back to Oda-senpai's greatness.**

* * *

 **Towa Island**

On the very next day, the Oathkeeper pirates had finally arrived on Towa Island. At first, they were expecting the well-known industrial island to be quite lively; however, what they saw was the complete opposite.

The entire island was like a ghost town and a haunted forest collided with each other. There was not a single sign of life to be seen anywhere inside the streets and inside the buildings. There were pieces of scattered trash and paper floating around with the wind and some broken pathways.

"What in the world happened here?" Sakuya asked in complete shock at what she's seeing.

"Is this? Towa Island?" Kaisetsu asked.

When the group docked the Overseer Drago at a nearby dock, they took a look around at the decimated town.

"Acky, are you sure we're on the right island?" Belle asked.

"Do the signs tell you otherwise, Hime," Ackmor asked pointing at all the signs that had the name "Towa Island" on them.

"This isn't right," Carl said, "Towa Island is supposed to be an industrial island. What in the world happened here?"

"I think the bigger question we should ask is: Where is everyone?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

As the group discussed theories as to what had happened to Towa Island, Belle saw something moving in the distance, "Hey! Is that an elephant?!"

"A what?" Ackmor asked as everyone else looked at the same direction Belle did and saw an elephant in the distance of the island.

"Whoa…it's huge even by elephant standards," Kaisetsu said.

"Yes, Towa Island has been known for its elephant population," Carl said, "But what is that elephant doing?!"

"Huh? It looks like it's chasing something," Yoshino said through Momo as he noticed how fast the elephant was moving.

"No…it's more like it's heading towards something!" Ackmor said as he saw that the elephant was going to attack a girl.

"Uh oh, that girl's in trouble!" Belle shouted as she suddenly rushed off without the others, "Let's go help her out!"

"Belle, you idiot! Wait for us!" Kaisetsu shouted as everyone else ran after the air-headed captain.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Damnit…" Hana muttered as she looked around the abandoned streets of Towa Island. Throughout her entire search, she had not found one human being around, "Where do I go now?" She asked as she saw a shadow over her. Hana turned around and saw one of the mind-controlled elephants. The elephant roared at her as it tried to stomp on her.

Hana managed to jump out of the way of the elephant's stomp, but she was then caught in a tight trunk hold. "Gah!" She shrieked as she struggled to breathe. "This...this can't be...the end...it...can't…" She thought as she was about to lose consciousness.

"Dragon's Ice Slash!" a voice yelled as the elephant was struck on the head by none other than Belle's attack. The beast roared in agony to the point where it dropped Hana, who was then caught by Ackmor.

"Ow…" Hana winced, "Who are-?"

"Thank goodness we got here on time," Kaisetsu said as she placed Hana down.

Belle rushed towards the elephant, "Take this! Fist Icicle Barrage!" She shouted as she unleashed a flurry of ice punches on the elephant's head which knocked the animal unconscious. "Man that was weird…"

"Belle! You shouldn't have run off on us like that," Sakuya said as she and Yoshino caught up with them.

"Shishi, sorry," Belle said. "I get like that whenever someone's in trouble."

"Are you alright?" Kaisetsu asked Hana.

"Thank you so much for saving me," Hana said as she stood up, "I really thought I was a goner there."

"You should be more careful around here," Yoshino told her through. "This island clearly has seen better days than this."

Carl walked over to the unconscious elephant and what immediately caught his eye was the device on its head, "What is this?" He asked as he hopped on top and examined the black device that resembled a helmet but had yellow antennas attached to it.

"It looks like some kind of helmet," Sakuya said.

"That's not just a helmet," Hana said, "That must be the device those kids used to control the elephants."

"Kids?" Ackmor asked.

"Well if breaking that solves our problem, then let's do it," Belle shouted as she ran up and shattered the device with a punch.

"Belle! What the hell are you doing?!" Carl asked, "We don't know if breaking this will harm the animal!"

"Well I've learned that breaking control devices on unconscious people won't harm them because their brains disconnected from the devices," Belle said.

"Where in the hell did you learn that?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Experience," Belle said with a cheeky smile.

"…You know we don't like it when you're vague, Belle," Kaisetsu said face-palming herself.

"So anyways, are you going to be safe here," Ackmor asked Hana, "I can tell that things aren't looking good on this island."

"Not really," Hana said looking at the bracelet the kids had put on her, "I'm in a really terrible situation right now."

"Hey, what's that thing?" Belle asked noticing the black bracelet on Hana's arm.

"Well…" Hana was about to explain what was going on until Sakuya stopped her.

"Okay but before that, let's find somewhere safe for the time being," Sakuya said.

"Right, I have a feeling that there are more of these mind-controlled elephants around here," Kaisetsu said as the group took Hana somewhere that was safe.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, the self-called Warriors of Hope had just finished their snack, which they call dinner.

"Ahh! Now I feel refreshed and rejuvenated~!" Megumi said performing spins.

"Don't spin around too much, Megumi, or you'll get seasick," Jotaro said.

"Jotaro, you don't grow seasick from spinning around," Cheren corrected the masked boy, "You get dizzy when you spin around."

"Ooops!" Jotaro shouted with widened eyes, "I should have known better than to confuse the two!"

"It's fine," Cheren said letting out a little cough, "That's just who you are, Jotaro."

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I've never felt more pumped to kill a demon girl since that time I hung an old demon man!" Daimon shouted.

"I hate to break it to you, Mr. Superiority Complex, but you can never reach my own dark and light brigade's level of how excited they are to kill," Megumi said.

"Dark and light brigade?" Daimon asked unimpressed, "Are you referring to those dumb hamsters?"

Megumi let out a gasp as she glared viciously at the orange haired boy, "I dare you to say that again, fiend!" She shouted as four hamsters jumped out from her twin pony tails glaring at the boy too, "Ula, Bisha, Kapon, and Yuro all demand you to say that to their own faces so they can burn your face until it is nothing but ashes!"

Ula is a Roborovski hamster that had grey fur. Bisha is a Mesocricetus hamster with tan-colored fur. Kapon is a fat Cricetulus hamster that has gray spikey hair and a small mohawk haircut. Yuro, a Golden Hamster, is the smallest out of the four hamsters.

"Oh boy, those four hamsters again," Jotaro said, "Um….what did Megumi call them again…?"

Megumi huffed angrily at Jotaro's short-term memory, "Geez, do I have to always explain it to you dummy heads?! Make sure to remember their names! Ula, Bisha, Kapon, Yuro, to positions!"

The four hamsters nodded as they took places on top of their master's head.

"Ula, Bisha, Kapon, Yoru!" Megumi shouted as she made a ridiculous pose alongside her hamsters, "With these names of light and darkness, they are known as the Four Goddesses of Twilight!"

The whole room they were in went completely silent. The three boys only looked at each other and shook their heads.

"Megumi, how much more over-the-top must you be?" Cheren asked.

"Yeah, they're just hamsters," Daimon said still unimpressed.

"Well um…they get points for being cute," Jotaro said.

Megumi pouted as she took her hamsters and pet all four of them equally, "It's okay, my children. Mommy thinks you did an amazing job and you are always awesome."

"There is something wrong with that girl," Daimon said with a sigh.

"Well, Erica thinks Megumi brings a lot of laughs in this group," Erica said entering the room.

"Erica?" Cheren asked, "I thought you'd be in your bed taking your scheduled nap."

"Oh, Cheren, Erica doesn't need a nap," Erica said, "Not as long as that demon who insulted us is still alive."

"That's a good point!" Jotaro said, "We were just on our way to go into the city to find her. It shouldn't be long before we find her and cut her insides and sell them onto the black market."

"I'm not sure about the black market stuff, but I'm all for it!" Daimon shouted.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Megumi asked, "Let's go find that demon and give her what for!"

"YEAH!" The kids shouted as they all waved goodbye to Erica.

"Do your best everyone~!" Erica said, "Erica will be watching over you~!" Once they finally left, Erica put on the evilest smile, "Fufufu, those fools. They don't know how little they mean to me. If my sources are correct, a pirate crew should have arrived by now. My pawns should provide an excellent test for the starters. Fufufu…"

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Back with the Oathkeepers and Hana, they managed to find an alleyway in Towa City where they could rest and find out the situation on the island. Everyone took the liberty of introducing themselves first to Hana.

"It's very nice to meet you, Belle, Kaisetsu, Ackmor, Yoshino, Sakuya, and Carl," Hana said, "My name is Hana. I'm a marine who was sent here on a mission."

"You're a marine?" Belle asked.

"Well…I'm technically a marine since I live with my mother who is also a marine," Hana said, "I just haven't become a private yet, but I plan to."

"You're mother's a marine…" Kaisetsu asked.

"Yes," Hana said, "Right now she's occasionally conducting missions around the East Blue. She sent me here as a means to test how well I can handle a mission on my own, but she didn't tell me about what was going to happen here."

"Speaking of, what exactly did happen here?" Carl asked. "The last time I heard, Towa was just conducting its usual business just last week until things went silent all of a sudden."

"If my memory serves right, what you see around you is the result of what those elephants caused," Hana said.

"You mean the same elephants as the one that had that weird device on its head," Ackmor asked.

"That's right," Hana said, "I'm not sure how long ago this happened, but by my best guess I'd say this happened two days ago."

"So it was when we arrived on the Gecko Islands," Belle said.

"Hana, do you think you can tell us how this all happened," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Sure," Hana said as she tried to remember what transpired two days ago, "It all started when I arrived here two days ago."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _Two days ago, Hana arrived at the industrial_ island of _the East Blue, Towa Island. The whole island was filled to the brim with people, shops, and different types of machines, "So this is Towa Island," She said to herself as she walked through the streets, "Now where is that plaza mother told me to go to?"_

 _Once Hana had managed to find the plaza at the center of the island, there she met a blue-haired man who had lavender eyes. He wore a white t-shirt with a heavy blue coat, black pants, and black shoes._

 _"Are you the marine sent here to investigate Towa Island," The man asked._

 _"Yes, you may call me Hana," Hana introduced herself._

 _"It is a pleasure to meet you, Hana. My name is Kaji Towa, the leader of Towa Industries," Kaji said. "Please, this way." He said before he led Hana to a large industrial building. "So, what brings an in-training marine to Towa Island? I was expecting someone on the lines of a captain or a secretary."_

 _"It's nothing too major, I assure you," Hana said, "My mother asked me to inspect the weapons Towa Industries has built as a means to test my capabilities as a marine."_

 _"Then it would be in both of our interest for Towa Industries to exceed your expectations," Kaji said as he led Hana into the weapon manufacturing room where a wide variety of weapons and gadgets were being built and tested. "This is where we manufacture the weapons that marines would use. Most of them are almost ready to go. They just need to go through the testing phase. Once that is done, the marines will have more powerful weapons to use at their disposal."_

 _"I see and what kinds of weapons do you make here?" Hana asked._

 _"Many kinds," Kaji said as he led her to a wall that displayed dozens of manufactured weapons, "One weapon can deploy multiple bombs from the palm of one's hand, another can shoot the newly developed "missile" towards a target generating a high caliber explosion, the list of fascinating weapons goes on."_

 _"Impressive," Hana said._

 _"We're still in the process of naming these weapons, but other than that, Towa Industries is proceeding on schedule," Kaji said as he led Hana to his office, "Please have a seat. Would you like some coffee?"_

 _"Why yes, please," Hana said as she took a seat, "One sugar and two creams."_

 _Kaji prepared both of their coffee cups and took a seat at his desk, "So, how is Towa Industries doing so far in your evaluation, Ms. Hana?"_

 _"I must say, this company is everything I expected it to be," Hana said as she took a sip of her coffee, "…However, there is an issue that my mother's superiors are concerned about."_

 _"Whatever the issue is, I'm sure that Towa Industries has it under con-"_

 _"You know what issue I am referring too," Hana said as she looked up at the man, "Last week, four of your highly classified weapons were stolen by one of your workers whose gone rogue."_

 _"If you don't mind me asking, how is it that someone of your status was able to obtain this information?" Kaji asked stirring his coffee with a straw, "Such information is known only to me and the higher-ups at Marineford."_

 _"My mother has a lot of contacts within the military," Hana said, "I'm guessing the wanted poster mounted on the wall behind you is the rogue Towa Inc. worker?"_

 _Kaji turned around and looked at the wanted poster. Wanted posters are given to people who are a threat to the World Government. How high the reward for capturing or killing the person on the poster shows how dangerous said person is._

 _On the wanted poster in the office, there was a picture of a jet-black haired man with light skin showing his emerald green eyes which had a criss-cross line pattern on the irises._

 _"The Harbinger of Death: Falchion Arrow. Wanted Dead or Alive for 60 million_ beris _," Hana read from what she saw_ of _the wanted board all the way from where she sat, "Did I read that right?"_

 _"Yes, you did," Kaji said, "Rest assured, such a scandal will not happen in this building again. I've had all the schematics of weapons we plan to create on constant guard and the assembly room is on high alert."_

 _"That's not the issue, Kaji," Hana said, "The World Government is concern about what you allowed Falchion Arrow to steal. Four powerful weapons are now in the hands of an unordinary rogue."_

 _"What do you mean 'unordinary'," Kaji asked._

 _"I've heard rumors that Falchion Arrow was part of a secret organization, but it is only just that: A rumor," Hana said._

 _"Rumor or not, your superiors can rest assure," Kaji said, "I have my best team looking into it and we've sent a group of agents to apprehend Falchion Arrow."_

 _"I hope so, Kaji," Hana said, "It would be a shame if Towa Industries' reputation gets dragged_ into _the mud because of one mistake."_

 _That was when they heard the door knock loudly, "Big Brother~!"_

 _"Yes? Come in," Kaji said._

 _The door opened and the person who let themselves in was none other than Erica, "Erica is here to inform you that_ you _meeting is coming up in 20 minutes."_

 _"Thank you, Erica," Kaji said._

 _"So is she your little sister?" Hana asked._

 _"Technically. She's my step-sister," Kaji said, "Erica, this is Hana. She's here to inspect Towa Industries."_

 _"It's nice to meet you, Hana," Erica said with a smile, "Has my big brother's company exceeded your expectations?"_

 _"So far it has," Hana said._

 _"Yaay~!" Erica shouted with a smile, "Now it's Erica's turn to impress you!"_

 _"Calm down, Erica," Kaji said, "We don't want to over express ourselves."_

 _"Pardon my asking, but isn't Erica a little too young to be working at an industrial facility?" Hana asked._

 _"Erica is," Erica said, "But Erica is no ordinary child. Erica has the brain of a college professor so Erica was allowed to tinker around and create other types of weapons."_

 _"And that is okay with your parents?" Hana asked._

 _"Well, our parents are working nearly half-way across the world so we don't have much contact with them," Kaji explained, "The officials at Towa Industries were quite impressed by Erica's skills that they wanted her to join. It was Erica's decision to help us make weapons and she has enjoyed it thus far."_

 _"Yep, Erica just loves to make anything out of metal or machine parts," Erica said, "Do you want to see Erica's secret creation?"_

 _"Secret creation?" Hana asked._

 _"Erica has been spending the past year working hard on a special project," Kaji said, "None of us were allowed to see the project because Erica wanted to surprise us."_

 _"That's right, but Erica makes an exception for you, Ms. Hana, as long as you don't tell anyone."_

 _"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me," Hana said with a smile growing to like the girl in the wheelchair._

 _"Perfect~," Erica said, "Come on, follow me," She said as she led Hana out of the room._

 _"Be sure to be nice to our inspector, Erica," Kaji called out._

 _Erica led Hana down to her own assembly area where a lot of devices different from the weapons Hana has seen so far are being built._

 _"What are those things," Hana asked looking at the devices._

 _"You'll see soon enough, Ms. Hana," Erica said, "We're almost at the testing room."_

 _Once they've arrived at the testing room, Hana's eyes widen in horror at what she had laid eyes on. There were dozens of elephants with the strange devices planted on their heads in waiting._

 _"Wh-what is this," Hana asked in shock._

 _"This, Ms. Hana, is Erica's newest invention," Erica said with a smile, "Elephant soldiers with amplified strength and endurance. There are perfect animals to make an unstoppable army, don't you think?"_

 _"What kind of game is this, Erica," Hana asked, "This is animal abuse!"_

 _"It's not considered abuse when the animals aren't getting hurt, Ms. Hana," Erica corrected._

 _"You know exactly what I am talking about," Hana said, "This creation of yours will end up bringing down Towa Industry' reputation."_

 _"_ Oh, _what does Erica care about big brother's stupid company," Erica suddenly said in a dark tone._

 _Hana stepped back after hearing the girl's statement, "What…?"_

 _"You heard me," Erica said shifting to_ first _person speaking, "I don't care about my useless brother and his company."_

 _"Erica…what is wrong with you," Hana asked._

 _"Ufufu, there's nothing wrong with me," Erica said, "Your arrival on this island puts my plan in jeopardy, so we have no choice but to silence you."_

 _"Your plan," Hana asked._

 _"You'll see soon enough," Erica said, "This is all for her and I will be sure to succeed."_

 _"Her?" Hana asked._

 _"Erica," A voice called, "The elephants are all ready!"_

 _Hana looked_ above _her and saw a kid dropping down from a crane._

 _"Great work, Daimon," Erica said with a smile._

 _"Who's this chick," Daimon asked. "Is she going to be our first demon catch?"_

 _"Nope," Erica said, "Erica has something special in store for Ms. Hana, isn't that right?"_

 _"Whatever plan you have in store, it ends now," Hana said, "I'm informing your brother about this scheme you have and placing you under arrest for illegal animal abuse."_

 _"Erica knew you were going to do that, Ms. Hana," Erica said,_ "Jotaro, _if you would be so kind."_

 _"Anything for you, Erica," the boy named Jotaro said as he suddenly appeared behind Hana._

 _"What?" Hana asked, but before she knew it, she was suddenly seeing a wide-open flower field. "Wh-what the hell?! Where am I?!" But her thought process stopped when she was suddenly hit from behind by a hard object which knocked her out._

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"And that's all I remember now that the pain in my head is gone," Hana explained rubbing her head assuming that the heavy strike on her was what caused her to lose a piece of memory.

"So let me get this straight," Sakuya said, "A group of little kids were able to mind control a bunch of elephants to take over this island. Is that right?"

"That's exactly what I told you, yes," Hana replied.

"Well, given what we just witnessed, it's not a far-fetched story," Kaisetsu said.

"Do you recall what happened to everyone else," Carl asked Hana, "Any idea where they could be?"

"I…I don't know," Hana said, "The last person I saw was Kaji, the owner of Towa Industries. I have no idea where he is, let alone if he is even alive."

"Alright then there's only one thing to do," Belle said as she stood up and slammed her fists together.

"Oh god, please don't…" Kaisetsu muttered as she facepalmed.

"We've gotta beat those dumb kids to a pulp and show them what happens when they get naughty," Belle said.

"Hime, why would you want to beat up kids," Ackmor asked in shock.

"Isn't that what all mothers do?" Belle asked, "I know my mother always beat me and Merry to a pulp whenever we do something naughty."

"I think you've gotten a Mother's tough love confused with just plain old beating people up," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Putting Belle's stupid plan aside," Kaisetsu said, "Do we even know where these kids even are?"

"The last time I saw them, they were in that building over there," Hana said pointing the ruined remains of Towa Industries, "Which I now realize is actually the Towa Inc. building."

"Yes," Belle shouted in excitement, "We have our destination, so let's barge in there and show them who's boss!"

Before Belle could march off towards the building, Sakuya grabbed her by the shirt, "Hold on, Belle, we need to focus on searching for survivors," She said before she turned to Hana, "You said this happened two days ago, right?"

"Yes, it did," Hana said, "Then that means there has to be survivors then."

"But where do you think they would hide," Carl asked. "This island isn't really a massive one and there are no forests they could go to."

"That is true…" Hana said in deep thought.

"Let's think about it like this, then," Kaisetsu said, "Where would we go if we were going to hide somewhere?"

"Ooh, a meat shop," Belle shouted.

"Hime, please take this seriously," Ackmor said, "We're looking for people who haven't been killed by the elephants."

"No, seriously, a meat shop right over there," Belle shouted pointing at a meat shop, "I wonder if the meat hasn't rotten."

Kaisetsu sighed and hit the girl on the head, "You'll end up only eating rotten meat if you don't take this seriously!"

"Is there, by chance, an underground passageway," Carl asked.

"Underground passage," Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Yes, if this island is an industrial one, surely there must be sewers of some kind where people can hide from these elephants," Carl suggested, "Elephants as big as the ones outside certainly can't go underground."

"You have a point there," Hana said as she nodded, "The sewers are our best bet right now at finding survivors."

"Then what are we waiting for," Sakuya asked, "Let's get over there and save as many handsome princes as we possibly can~!"

Kaisetsu let out a sigh, "Our idiot group has already started to grow…"

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

The group made their way through the city without catching the attention of any other hostile elephant and arrived at the entrance into the sewers, which was a man-sized tube that poured a small lake of dirty water.

"This has to be the way in," Ackmor said.

"EEEW," Sakuya shouted feeling her spine tingle from the thought of dirty water, "There's no way my body is going to get covered up in the disgusting filth that dwells in this hellhole!"

 **"Not even if it meant following after Yoshino and Ackmor,"** Momo asked.

Yoshino and Ackmor glared at the bear in response to his witty comment.

"D-Did that puppet just talk," Hana asked in both shock and fear.

 **"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PUPPET,"** Momo screamed, **"MOMO WILL CLAW OUT YOUR GUTS IF YOU CALLS HIM THAT AGAIN!"**

"I-It did talk," Hana screamed, "What is that, a demon puppet?!"

"Now you've gone and done it again, Momo," Yoshino said through Momo, "I'm sorry for my friend, but he can be a bit huffy when you call him a puppet."

 **"Which Momo isn't,"** Momo said, **"Got it?!"**

"He's a friend of ours," Yoshino said, "So there's no need to be frightened of him."

"But…how," Hana asked, "Where? When?"

"Are you asking how, where, and when I got Momo," Yoshino asked through Momo as Hana nodded, "That is a story for another time."

"Right, let's hurry up inside before we get spotted," Belle said as she, Kaisetsu, and Hana entered the sewers.

"I can't believe that dumb bear gave Sakuya the pep-talk," Ackmor said.

"Momo is what Momo does," Yoshino said through Momo with a shrug.

"Aw, cheer up my darling princes," Sakuya said as she locked both her arms around Ackmor and Yoshino's arms, "What wouldn't I do to get closer to such handsome men?"

"Sakuya, we can only enter the sewers one at a time," Ackmor pointed out, "There really is no way you can hold both of us."

"Yeah…and I don't like girls being this close to me," Yoshino said through Momo with a blush on his face.

"Oh my darling Yoshino-kun, you have no reason to be shy," Sakuya said as she looked up at him with a cherry-red blush, "I'm not complaining seeing as how cute it is to see the softer side you have."

"Please don't get close to me like that," Yoshino said through Momo as he stepped away.

"In any case, let's just go before we lose the rest of the girls," Ackmor said as he entered the sewers with Yoshino and Sakuya following behind.

However unknown to the Oathkeepers, a certain child was watching them enter the sewers. That child was none other than Daimon, "Hehehahaha, that last piece of cake is all mine. I might even get something special for those other potential demons."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Meanwhile at a tall building that lies at the center of Towa Island, Ibuki, the girl who had placed the bracelet on Hana, had finished cleaning the bathroom for her "masters" and was on her way to her room.

Ibuki let out a sigh before she sat on her bed, "Geez, when the hell am I going to get the okay signal?" Ibuki asked breaking her 1st person persona, "I've been here for almost four days and already I am sick and tired of those brats. 'Get me this! Get me that! Brush my hamsters! Dust my books!' Ugh, I hope the captain decides to lift my punishment and gets me out of this hellhole! I mean, sure I cooked the captain steamed potatoes, but that was only because I thought she loved them. Cut the cook a break..."

While Ibuki was in her rant to herself, the Den Den Mushi, which had yellow eyes, began to rang. Knowing who this was, Ibuki rushed over to the snail and picked up the speaker, "Captain?! Is that you?!"

"No, this isn't the captain, Ibuki," said a boy's voice from the other end. "It's me, Kadiri."

"KADI~! I'm actually so, so happy to hear your absolutely morbid voice again!" Ibuki cheered.

"...I see that your straightforward disrespect to your superiors hasn't changed at all," Kadiri said.

"Aw, you know you love, Kadi," Ibuki said.

"For the umpteenth time, stop calling me by that ridiculous name," Kadiri said, "Your mind-set of getting on our skins is part of the reason the captain let Erica and her band of misfit children keep you as their temporary "demon" slave. I honestly don't know why she didn't just have you killed."

"That's because I cook amazing food," Ibuki said, "All of you would be lost without my help."

"Keep talking like that and I'll ask the captain to reconsider her decision to have me bring you back over early from your punishment," Kadiri threatened.

"What?! That's so mean, Kadi~!" Ibuki said, "I hate it here. Those kids keep making me clean up after their snacks and bathroom breaks! I'm a cook, not a maid!"

"Well, it's good to hear that you're taking your punishment well," Kadiri said in a rather smart-ass tone, "Speaking of Erica and her kid friends, have they used the captain's gift to them?"

"If you're referring to that same dark power the captain has, then yep. I saw them use it the moment they started taking over Towa Island and maaaaan they were a scary bunch," Ibuki said, "Especially that Erica kid. She looked like the spawn of Satan when she used that dark power. Plus, I've heard Erica say that a pirate crew had arrived. One led by a Monkey D. Belle."

"Monkey D. Belle, you say?" Kadiri asked.

"That's her name," Ibuki said.

"...I'll be right there, soon," Kadiri said, "Just tell me where you are and I'll go get you."

"Aw, thanks a lot, Kadiri," Ibuki said, "See? It pays for you to be nice."

"Flattery won't get you on my good side," Kadiri said.

"Ooh, tough crowd...," Ibuki said, "Very well. I'm at the largest building on the island. You can't possibly miss it."

"Alright, don't get into trouble until I get there," Kadiri said.

"Whatever you say, Ka-"

"Katcha" The Den Den Mushi suddenly said, signaling that Kadiri had hung up.

"Something tells me that he knew I was about to call him by his nickname," Ibuki said with a giggle, "Oh Kadi can be funny sometimes."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, the Oathkeepers, along with Carl and Hana, were still walking in the sewers searching for any survivors of Towa Island. They have been walking in the part of the sewer where a steady stream of water flowed for an hour.

"Oh goodness, it's sooooo dark!" Sakuya shouted as she shivered and held on tightly to Ackmor.

"You're afraid of the dark, Sakuya," Belle asked.

"Of course I am," Sakuya said, "Who wouldn't be?!"

"The darkness of this sewer shouldn't pose a threat as long as we use the water as a guide," Hana said. "Of course we still need to be on the lookout for those kids and any danger."

"That is true, but our objective is to find the survivors of the attack," Carl said.

"But we've been searching for days~!" Belle whined.

"It's only been an hour, Hime," Ackmor.

"An hour too long without food in my stomach," Belle whined. "Can't you hear my belly's growl?"

"Just hold on a little longer, Belle," Kaisetsu said, "The sooner we find the survivors and get out this hell-hole the better."

"Hey look," Yoshino shouted through Momo as he pointed at something in the distance, "I think I see a different area over there. It's not easy to see in this dark but it's there."

As the group drew closer to the area, it turned out to be where the sewage water drops down into a waterfall that led out towards the sea.

"What is this?" Ackmor asked.

"That is where the water of any sewage goes," Hana said, "Out to sea."

"Ew…so that's where your…" Ackmor asked.

"Uh, yeah?" Yoshino asked through Momo, "Wait you didn't know this?"

"No," Ackmor said.

Everyone but Belle looked at the android with confused and slightly bewildered faces.

"Then…where'd you think our piss goes, Ackmor?" Kaisetsu asked.

"I thought it just vanishes," Ackmor said.

"Wha…?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Um, guys? Android with no memories? Ring any bells?" Belle asked.

"Still…you're lack of knowledge of the world itself is astounding, Ackmor," Carl said.

"More that it's actually concerning," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Um…I'll just pretend you didn't insult me just now," Ackmor said.

"Aw, a handsome man who knows little of the world is so adorable to watch~!" Sakuya said gushing over Ackmor again.

"Alright, enough with the chit-chat," Hana said, "If you're all done with your little talk, maybe you can pay attention to this thing over here."

Everyone looked over to Hana who was near the side of where the waterfall starts staring at something. When everyone walked over to her, they saw a steel wall that looked tightly sealed.

"Whoa, is this it?" Belle asked.

"It has to be," Hana said noticing the Towa Industries symbol on the wall. "This must be an emergency shelter that the people use in the event of an attack."

"Well it's good to know they have a place to stay safe at," Carl said.

"Great! Now can we beat up the kids and get this over with?!" Belle asked.

"Not yet," Hana said. "I need to speak to Kaji and get more information as to what's happened after I got knocked out."

"Plus, we can't just leave these people helpless," Sakuya said. "We need to show them that everything is going to be okay now that we're here."

"You're making us out to be heroes or something," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Do you think that the people here would even allow anyone else in?" Kaisetsu asked.

"They should...after all they're all being hunted by those kids," Hana said.

"Alright then, we won't find outstanding here," Kaisetsu said before she knocked on the door, "Hello?! Is anyone there?!"

That was when a part of the steel wall opened to reveal a man who looked quite frightened. "Wh-who are you people? Wh-what business d-do you have here?"

"Don't worry, we are all humans here and none of us have any intention of causing harm to you or the innocent people behind this wall. I am here to speak with a man named Kaji Towa," Hana said. "My name is Hana. I was a marine who was-"

The gatekeeper's eyes widen in fear when he heard the word marine, "Shit! Get the hell away from here, monster!"

"Huh?" Hana asked shocked by the sudden insult spouted from horrified lips of a scared man.

"Wait, we're not here to hurt anyone," Ackmor said, "Hana is here to protect all of you. It's her job as a marine."

"Sh-shut up! None of you are going anywhere past this gate! L-leave now...or else!" The gatekeeper said.

Kaisetsu instantly lost her temper and her patience when she heard the gatekeeper threaten them, "Or else what…?" She asked grabbing the hilt of Murasaki.

 **"Momo doesn't think it's a good idea for you to antagonize this man, Kaisetsu,"** Momo said feeling that things were going to go south really fast.

"If there's one thing you new people must learn about me it's that I am not a patient, tolerant woman when it comes to negotiations," Kaisetsu said, "The second someone threatens anyone on this crew, that person is my enemy. Plain and simple."

"Kaisetsu, isn't that a little extreme," Ackmor asked, "I mean look at this guy," He said before looking at the frightened man, "You can't blame him after what's happened on this island."

"That doesn't stop him from trusting the people who clearly aren't here to kill anyone," Kaisetsu said.

"That's something coming from you," Sakuya said.

"What was that, Siren?" Kaisetsu asked glaring at Sakuya for the remark.

"Alright, let's not do this here, you two," Belle said getting in between them.

Feeling threatened by the violent atmosphere being projected from the group, the gatekeeper held a rifle to Kaisetsu's forehead, "Not another move! I mean it!"

"Not good!" Momo shouted.

"Wait, please, stop this," Yoshino shouted through Momo, "Surely we can come to some form of agreement! No one has to die here!"

"Oh, so you have the guts to draw a gun on me," Kaisetsu said as she closed her eyes.

"Kaisetsu, don't-" Belle warned.

"-do anything that'll shame the Roronoa name. I've heard that from Dad countless times," Kaisetsu finished, "But this man is really testing my patience."

Hana stared at the swordswoman in surprise, "Did…did she say…the Roronoa family…?" She thought before she clenched her fists, "Then that means…she's…"

"Okay everyone, let's just take a deep breath and calm down." Yoshino said through Momo, "I'd like, more than anything, to avoid conflict."

"Enough of this," Carl said, "It's obvious that these people don't want us in their presence. We should just move on to Aroma Island while we still have time."

"And leave these people," Belle asked, "I won't do that. Besides, I am starving and I need something to eat already." She said before she turned to the gatekeeper, "Please, can't you let us in for a bite to eat at the very least?"

"I will not tell you again!" The gatekeeper said releasing the safety on the rifle, "Leave now or I'll pull the trigger!"

"But come on~! I smell some good stuff behind this wall," Belle whined, "I'm starving. Can't you help a girl out?"

"Hime! Kaisetsu has a gun pointed at her head and you're thinking about food?!" Ackmor asked shocked at how little concern she has for her own friend.

"Oooh, you didn't see it either?" Belle asked.

"See what?" Ackmor asked.

It wasn't long before the front half of the gatekeeper's rifle suddenly fell off like Kaisetsu had just gotten through cutting it clean off; however, in the eyes of everyone else, Kaisetsu had not moved an inch, let alone grabbed Murasaki to cut the weapon.

Everyone but Belle jumped back in shock of what had just happened.

"Wh-What the hell?!" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"What…just happened?" Sakuya asked.

"Ittoryu: Close Disarm," Kaisetsu said before she opened her eyes, which she had closed before when the gatekeeper put his gun on her.

"So it's a sword-style technique," Ackmor asked, "How and when did you use it?"

"Well if I remember correctly, Kaisetsu's Ittoryu: Close Disarm works in a specific way." Belle began to explain, "Kaisetsu can use this ability to cut weapons that are trained on her, like the gun from before, at an alarming speed. My guess is that you never saw her move, right?"

"Yeah," Ackmor said.

"That's the effect. Kaisetsu, when using that technique, moves so fast that no one can even notice that she moved at all," Belle said, "Only people who can anticipate when the move will be used will be able to see it and her speed is all thanks to Murasaki."

"Murasaki?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Yes," Kaisetsu said, "Murasaki is a special sword. She grants the wielder tremendous speed when using the sword styles all at the cost of power, a set-back I overcame through rigorous training."

Hana was absolutely certain now, "There's no doubt now…to think she, of all people, would be his child. If that's the case, then that means that girl is…" She thought as she turned to Belle, "And these people are…"

"Um…" Ackmor said as he smiled at the gatekeeper who became petrified in fear of Kaisetsu's strength, "I'm sorry that we've troubled you, sir."

Suddenly, the gatekeeper snapped and ran away as fast as he could in fear screaming his lungs out.

"And there goes our chance at getting inside," Carl said before he sighed.

"You overdid it again, Kai," Belle said, "Did you really have to do that move so menacingly?"

"Hey, if you can't convince them with words, intimidate them," Kaisetsu said with a shrug. "Either way, there's no way we're getting inside."

"Hey, what's all this commotion about?" A voice from behind the wall asked.

"Huh," Sakuya asked.

That was when the face of a man, familiar to Hana only, looked out of the gate. "Miss. Hana, is that you?"

"Mr. Kaji," Hana said to Kaji, "It's great to see that you've survived."

"The feeling's mutual," Kaji said looking at the Oathkeepers, "Who are these people?"

"These are my…saviors," Hana said, "They saved me when I was in unfortunate danger."

"That's right," Belle said, "We're here to solve your little kid problem."

"Y-You are?" Kaji asked, "Then by all means, please come inside."

When the group entered the compound, they were surprised by how huge the place was. It makes you wonder how big the underground of Towa Island really was.

But before even that Hana noticed something different with Kaji than the last time she saw her. This time, Kaji's right arm was wrapped in a huge cast.

As they walked through the area, they looked around and saw people hunched up against the walls frightened beyond belief. Some people were talking to each other in order to pass the time and some were doing certain activities to get their minds off of the situation they were in so that they wouldn't be driven to fear.

"I've heard you had difficulty at the gates," Kaji said getting everyone's attention, "For that, I apologize on behalf of everyone else here." He said before he let out a sigh, "In these times, we're all on edge. My name is Kaji Towa."

"Yes," Kaisetsu said, "Hana told us about you."

"Has she?" Kaji asked, "Well good then that means we can skip some parts of her story about what the hell happened here."

"Yeah, but first I have a question," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Would you mind holding that question for a bit," Kaji asked, "I'll take you somewhere where we can discuss this in peace and not cause another stir."

"Another stir?" Belle asked.

"It's crazy once you see just how sensitive to fear people are," Kaji said, "One bad thing said in this place could cause a damn riot inside this very settlement. Now come along. I'll take you to the building we used to schedule emergency meetings." He said as he led them to the main building that lied at the center of the hideout.

Kaji took a seat and thought about where to even begin with his story, "Well…I'm sure you've heard from Hana, but I'll say this right now. The person behind the attack on Towa Island is none other than my little sister, Erica Towa."

"It must be hard to have your own sister be the one responsible for all this," Belle said.

"Mr. Kaji, what happened to your arm?" Hana asked pointing out Kaji's arm cast.

"Oh, this?" Kaji asked, "It was broken by some unknown girl."

"Unknown girl," Sakuya asked.

"Yeah, she was with Erica when the attack started," Kaji said, "I believe she said her name was Ibuki."

"Ibuki," Hana asked remembering the girl, who she met before.

"Yeah, I didn't even stand a chance and Erica turned this island into a ghost town," Kaji said.

"Do you have any idea why she would do this," Carl asked.

"I wish I did," Kaji said, "Right from the get-go when she showed her "true colors", as she called them, I knew something was wrong with her and not in a twisted way…something foul was going on in my sister, but I didn't know what it was."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _Kaji had entered Erica's laboratory after being told that Hana had not came back in a long time, "Erica, sorry to intrude but have you-" He stopped himself when he saw the elephants with the mind-controlling devices on them, "Wh-what the hell?!"_

 _"Ah! Big Brother, you're here to see Erica's new invention~!" Erica said as she smiled at her big brother._

 _"Erica! What is this?!" Kaji asked, "What are you doing to those elephants?!_

 _"What does it look like, Big Brother?" Erica asked innocently, "You said to build weapons that would help the marines grow stronger in force. What better way to do it than to have these powerful elephants at our beck and call?"_

 _"This is completely against Towa Industry's regulations, Erica," Kaji said angrily._

 _"But what about the saying 'The end justifies the means'?" Erica asked, "The marines are known for this type of thought process so why can't Erica do the same?"_

 _"Nothing can excuse animal excuse of this proportion!" Kaji shouted, "Where is Ms. Hana? She would have come to me about this the moment you showed this to her!"_

 _"Oh, Big Brother, you can't get told on if you knock the tattle teller unconscious," Erica said with a smile as she pointed at the sides of her upper head._

 _"Cut the jokes already this instant," Kaji shouted, "Where is Ms. Hana?!"_

 _"Geez, so loud," a voice said, "Are all adults this noisy?"_

 _"Who's there?!" Kaji asked as he looked around._

 _That was when the girl, Ibuki, jumped down from above and smiled at Kaji, "Hiya~! Don't mind me. Erica, can Ibuki do what you told her to do now?"_

 _"Yes, Ibuki, you can," Erica said._

 _"Wha-" Kaji asked._

 _"Ibuki is sorry~!" Ibuki cheered before she performed a roundhouse kick on Kaji's right arm breaking the bones instantly._

 _"AAAAH!" Kaji screamed before he was knocked to the ground holding his broken arm in pain._

 _"Ufufu, good job, Ibuki," Erica said. "Now stay back. Big brother is all mine."_

 _"Gah….Erica! What is the meaning of this?!" Kaji asked angrily, "Attacking your own big brother?! What's gotten into you?!"_

 _"What's gotten into me?" Erica asked breaking her 1st person speech before she smiled as her entire body began to be covered by a dark aura, "Oh, Big Brother, nothing is wrong with me. I've just been granted a power that everyone in the world couldn't even dream of obtaining. You were just too stupid to realize it." She said with an evil look in her eye, "All of this was thanks to her!"_

 _"Erica...this isn't you. You've never been like this!" Kaji said before he slowly stood up. "What would mother think if she saw this?!"_

 _"Well, that must show how little you really knew me, big brother," Erica said, "And as for Mommy, you can now have her all to yourself, because I have a new mother who showed me more love than Mommy ever did. I am doing all of this, for her!"_

 _"For her?" Kaji asked._

 _"It doesn't matter," Erica said before she conjured up a wave of bugs at her disposal, "This company and this island is now mine for the taking, so this is where we bid farewell, big brother...or should I saw Kaji."_

 _"Erica…" Kaji said before he pulled out a white ball, "No...I won't believe this is really you...I'm going to help you in whatever way I can. Until then...have your island and your company, but you can't have your brother erased from your heart!" He shouted before he threw the ball into the ground creating a large puff of smoke._

 _Erica coughed as the smoke engulfed the entire room, "Grrrr...how dare he use that weird ball like that?! Ibuki, after him!"_

 _"Yes, ma'am~!" Ibuki shouted._

 _Outside, Kaji rushed out of the smoke and out of the room. Afterwards, he then punched the control box to the door forcing it to close on Ibuki. "That'll hold them for a bit...but those elephants pose a threat to this island. I have warn everyone so that they head to the underground emergency bunker." He said before he rushed back to his office to relay the news to his workers and the people._

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"And that's what happened," Kaji said, "I lost more than just my arm and my own company. I lost my own sister."

"Kaji…" Hana said feeling sympathy for the broken man.

"…Was that really your sister?" Yoshino suddenly asked through Momo out of nowhere.

"Huh?" Kaji asked as everyone's attention turned to Yoshino.

"I mean, don't tell me you actually believe that was your own little sister," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Are you saying it wasn't?" Kaji asked as he stood up, "Tell me, what makes you so sure?"

"We're old brothers, you and I," Yoshino said through Momo, "So we know our own little sisters better than anyone. At the age they were, there would absolutely be no way they could become so twisted and vile as to commit mass murder. No…there's someone pulling the strings of not just Erica, but all those kids! Little kids are beings of love and happiness, not murder and hatred!"

"Yoshino-kun…" Sakuya said.

"Now that you mention it…" Kaji said before his eyes shot open, "That must have been it."

"What is it?" Kaisetsu asked.

"I should have realized," Kaji said, "About three weeks ago, I noticed that Erica wasn't exactly alone when she was going to her secret lab. There was a woman with her."

"A woman," Ackmor asked.

"I-I couldn't make out her face because she had her back turned and she always stuck to whatever shadows she could find in our building," Kaji explained, "It must have been her. She must have manipulated Erica somehow!" He shouted before he clenched his fists.

"Well, aren't you going to do something, Towa guy?" Belle asked.

Kaji stopped his anger and looked at Belle with a confused look, "Towa guy?"

"Forgive our friend," Kaisetsu said, "She has a habit of nicknaming people."

"That's…quite a habit," Kaji said.

"So?" Belle asked, "What are you going to do?"

Kaji sighed, "Nothing, unfortunately."

"Nothing?" Sakuya asked.

"Yeah...everywhere you look outside there are elephants ready to kill you and those four kids including Erica are not to be underestimated. 19 people made that mistake and never came back." Kaji said.

"Can't you like get an animal tamer to train them not to kill you guys?" Ackmor asked.

"Do you seriously think it's that simple?" Kaji asked. "We can't because we found out that the animals are being mind-controlled." Kaji said.

"So that's what that machine was on that elephant back then…" Carl said, "I thought something was odd about the animals on this island."

"But how in the hell did little kid like Erica get her hands on technology that advance to make elephants obey her every whim?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Yeah…it is indeed suspicious." Kaji said, "Not even Towa had that kind of technology. That question just might mean that Yoshino's theory on an unknown puppet master has the potential of being correct. My best bet is that woman from three weeks ago was the one who provided the technology for all of this to happen. Though, I don't know what she could have possibly gained from all of this. Perhaps she has a hatred for my family or this island perhaps."

"So...that's the whole story, right?" Kaisetsu asked.

"That's right. There's nothing else left I can tell you like why this happened or what goal they were trying to achieve." Kaji said.

"Oh well, it doesn't matter if we know what they want or not. All we need to do is get all those mind-control devices off the animals' heads, beat some sense into those kids, and save this island, right?" Belle asked.

"Wait, you're going to fight them?" Kaji asked. "But that's suicide. If we, the adults, couldn't do anything against them, then how will-"

"Well, Towa guy, I'm a special person. I'm the girl who will be the Pirate Queen. That in itself is a nearly impossible task, so I can't say that what I'm about to do is anything near that level." Belle said with a cheeky smile.

"That pretty much sums up what I was about to say." Kaisetsu said, "Don't worry, we can handle ourselves."

"Yep, me, Kai, Acky, Yoshi, and Saku-chan have got this covered." Belle said, "Heck, we've beaten our first enemy pirate crew together so this is just another step forward."

"Yeah, but probably to our deaths…" Ackmor muttered.

"But before we do that, there's a pressing issue," Hana said as she showed everyone her bracelet.

"Oh boy, is that what I think it is?" Kaji asked.

"You've seen it before?" Carl asked.

"Yeah…some people here have those on them," Kaji said, "They're made as game for those children's sick twisted hunting game."

"Is there a way to get it off?" Hana asked.

"I'm sorry," Kaji said, "But these bracelets require a certain code to unlock them and that code is in the possession of Erica. She also created these things."

"Dang, that girl is really talented," Belle said, "I'm surprised Franky isn't all over her."

"Great…" Hana growled. "It's no big deal. As long as I don't tamper with it, I'll be fine."

"Again, I am sorry that I can't help you," Kaji said.

"Not to worry," Hana said. "I'll just have to get the code from Erica herself."

"But where do we even find this Erica girl?" Sakuya asked.

"I know where she is," Kaji said, "At Towa Tower."

"Towa Tower?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Towa Tower is the main building of Towa Island. It's also the largest building on the island, so it shouldn't be hard to miss." Kaji explained.

"Then that's where we're heading," Hana said, "But some of us need to stay here so that these people will be safe in the event Erica or her children friends attack this place."

"There's no need to worry about us, Hana," Kaji said, "This place was built to keep people safely hidden in the event of a major attack from pirates. Knowing kids, they don't have the stomach to follow us here."

"Still, there's no harm in leaving at least two of us here," Belle said.

"I don't believe that is a wise decision, Belle," Kaisetsu said, "We're new to the seas and we might be up against opponents out of our league."

"Hm…you've got a good point there," Belle said, "But what other choice do we have?"

"None, unfortunately," Carl said, "We can't stay here and wait them out."

"So we have to split up," Belle said, "Don't worry, Kai, I have faith in everyone."

"If that is your decision, I'll follow through it with you," Kaisetsu said, "So, who's staying and who's going to Towa Tower."

"I'll stay and watch over these people," Carl said. "I'm not up for another long trip through the sewers."

"Me neither," Yoshino said through Momo, "Besides, if those kids somehow get those elephants through that door, I'll have a choke point to snipe them one-by-one from."

"Oh, my Yoshino-kun, I volunteer to stay with you here until the bitter end," Sakuya said as she lept towards Yoshino to hug him, but was pulled back by Kaisetsu.

"Hold it right there, crazy love puppy," Kaisetsu said to the siren girl, who was struggling to get out of her grasp, "I don't think these people, in the situation they're in, will stand a person as optimistic as you for very long."

"How dare you?!" Sakuya shouted angrily, "Release me from your foul grasp at once! I will not allow you to separate me from my Yoshino-kun!"

"Oh boy…she's at it again," Ackmor said annoyed by the siren's antics.

"Sakuya, I'll be fine," Yoshino said through Momo.

"But…Yoshino-kun," Sakuya said worriedly.

"It's just as Kaji said: this place is well hidden," Yoshino said through Momo, "The only people we should worry about are the ones going back outside."

"Yeah," Hana said, "Belle, Ackmor, Sakuya, and I are going to try and head to Towa Tower. If we don't attract any unnecessary attention, we should be able to sneak in undetected."

"And what will you do when you get there," Kaji asked, "You don't mean to take on Erica and her gang with just those insufficient numbers."

"Taking down Erica will happen later in our infiltration," Hana said, "First we have to confirm if she is really there," She said before she took out a transponder snail dressed just like her, "Take this and keep in contact. We'll let you know if we've found her or not."

"Simple enough," Carl said, "But what do we do when you call us?"

"We'll let you know when that happens," Hana said.

"Wow, you surprisingly have all of this planned out," Belle said.

"And you didn't?" Hana asked.

"Shishishi, nope~!" Belle said with a grin.

"Are you serious, Hime?! Did you plan to rush in blindly and get yourself killed?!" Ackmor asked in shock.

"Now that you mention the last part, it doesn't sound like a good idea anymore," Belle said.

"It never was a good idea to begin with," Sakuya said.

"Alright then, we're off," Hana said as she, Ackmor, Sakuya, and Belle head out of the gate.

"Yeah, wish us good luck!" Belle shouted before following close behind.

 **"Good luck, Belle-san, Saku-san, Ackmor-san, Hana~!"** Momo cheered.

"…I still don't like this idea of separating," Kaisetsu said.

"Huh?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Yeah, it sounds to me that the kids you've encountered weren't normal," Carl said to Kaji.

"That's right," Kaji confirmed, "Those aren't ordinary kids you're dealing with. If there is a chance that they are being controlled, we have to help him either way. They're just children, after all."

 **"Ha! Nothing Belle can't handle,"** Momo shouted.

"Yeah, those guys will be fine," Yoshino said through Momo, but in the process was worried about Sakuya.

"I hope you're right about that," Kaji said before he stood up, "Now, how about I treat you all to some coffee?"

"That sounds lovely," Kaisetsu said with a generous smile, "Thank you.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Belle's group treaded along the path of the sewers in search of the entrance to the sewers; however in the process, then ended up getting lost for the first thirty minutes.

"Um….did we turn right here, or did we turn left?" Belle asked looking both sides of a fork in the sewer path.

"I believed we made a left on this one," Sakuya said.

"No, I think we took a right," Ackmor said.

"Wait….didn't we pass by here before," Hana asked.

"Yeah…this place does look familiar," Belle said looking around before she sighed, "Great…we're lost…"

"No we're not," Ackmor said, "I am pretty sure that we should go left here."

"What makes you think that?" Hana asked.

"I'm a navigator," Ackmor said, "Well…a navigator in…hands-on training?"

"Oh so you have no experience in this whatsoever," Hana said.

"Hana, Acky's doing his best," Belle said.

"How dare you insult my precious prince, swordswoman!" Sakuya shouted, "You may not be the same unreasonably blunt swordswoman, but you insult my prince all the same!"

"I'm just telling it how it is," Hana said with a shrug, "I don't think we should rely on a fresh navigator to guide us."

"You little…"

"It's alright, Sakuya," Ackmor said stopping Sakuya.

"B-But Ackmor-kun," Sakuya said.

"I'm an amnesiac, after all, so it isn't a surprise that someone would be against me guiding others," Ackmor said, "It's like the blind leading the blind, but don't worry, I'll learn overtime so I won't be a burden to anyone."

"That's the spirit, Acky~! I knew I made the right choice making you my navigator," Belle said.

Ackmor felt something beat inside his chest for a second as he looked away with a slight hint of pink on his cheeks, "U-um yeah, you sure did."

"Everyone, stop," Hana said as everyone stopped in their tracks.

"What is it, Hana?" Sakuya asked.

Hana looked at both of her sides, "Be on your guard...we're being watched."

"We are," Ackmor asked.

"Ah! I wouldn't call it 'watching you'," A voice, which belongs to none other than Daimon, said as said orange haired boy appeared, "More like I'm hunting and it seems like I not only found my prey but three potential bonuses!"

"Oh...not him…" Hana groaned remembering the voice, "He was the most annoying out of them!"

"Hey! Ms. Demon, you want me to brutalize your corpse even further by running your filthy mouth of insults?!" Daimon shouted angrily.

"Who in the world is this kid?" Belle asked. "Is he one of the kids after you, Hana?"

"Yeah, he's the one," Hana said.

"I still can't get over the fact that they're just kids," Sakuya said. "He even looks completely harmless."

"Why you...underestimating me just because I'm a kid!" Daimon said, "Do you even know who you're dealing with?! I'm the Super Duper Hero and Leader of the Warriors of Hope, Hero Knight Daimon!"

Everyone in the group except for Hana sweat-dropped.

"Are you sure this kid, who has a lame-ass name, is out to kill you?" Belle said Hana.

"What did you say?!" Daimon shouted angrily.

"I am not the kind of person to joke about this," Hana said, "This kid is the real deal and really wants to kill me. Like Kaji said, these kids are not normal and do not act humanely at all."

"And like Yoshino-kun said before, these children cannot act so savagely of their own will. Listen Daimon," Sakuya said as she turned to Daimon, "You may be a kid but that doesn't give you the right to go around hurting people. If you agree to stop this with your other friends, then we might find a way to-"

"Hahaha, not a chance." Daimon said, "There's no way I'm going to let Demons like you get the best of me!"

"What the hell? What's with this dorky brat, calling us Demons," Ackmor said, "You should learn a little more discipline if you talk to people like that."

"Tch, like I need something those weak adults had called discipline!" Daimon said, "I'm not anything like those leader adults either. The ones that hide in the shadows like cowards. A true leader is one that stands on the front lines of battle!" He declared as he chuckled shyly, "Hehe, that was cool, wasn't it? I looked totally cool right there, right?"

"What a narcissistic little ingrate…" Hana muttered, "Brats like him always get what's coming to them."

"So, are you all frightened? The leader of the Warriors of Hope just popped out like that." Daimon said, "It's scary, isn't it?"

"Actually isn't quite the opposite." Belle said with a smirk, "That means if I beat you then whoever is hunting Hana won't come anywhere near her."

"The thing is, Belle, he's not the leader." Hana said. "He just thinks he is. The leaders a scary little girl. I bet this kid is the fourth or fifth in command."

"Wait...he was just pretending to be the leader?" Ackmor asked.

"Pretending? Fourth and fifth…?" Daimon asked as he instantly lost his temper, "Why you…! Fourth and Fifth place is for losers and weaklings like all of you!"

"Complain and belittle us all you want, brat," Ackmor said, "It's not going to change anything."

"Oh you'll pay for belittling me first, wretched Demons…" Daimon growled.

"Wow, you should know better than to call people terrible names like that, young man," Sakuya said stepping forward. "I am fully against hurting kids, but I am afraid I am going to have to teach you some manners, Mr. Daimon."

"Haha like an old granny like you is going to teach me anything!" Daimon laughed.

"Old granny," Sakuya asked.

"This kid has no sense of manners," Ackmor said, "Didn't his parents teach him anything about respect?"

"I'm not a kid! Well, I am, but stop calling me one! I'm the super duper hero of Justice!" Daimon yelled before becoming silent at the mentioning of parents. "Parents are the worst demons of all... I hate them! I'm going to tear all their heads off and burn them to ashes!"

"You hate parents," Sakuya asked, "I'm sorry to hear that. There was a time that I too hated my parents." She said as she remembers the fact that her father, Sanji, and her mother, Violet, aren't really her blood parents, "But that was because I didn't realize how much they truly loved me despite what I truly am." She said before she stomped her right foot on the ground causing water to swirl around it, "Let me tell you something: parents are nothing like the one's you've been told about. They exist to protect and love their children and I am going to prove that to you by saving you from this alleged darkness that has control of your heart."

"You're a dirty liar! Parents are cruel! They're mean and they hurt us! They don't love anyone, but themselves! I hate parents, I hate demons and I hate liars!" Daimon yelled going into a rage. "I'm going to make them all pay for what they did. You'll see I'll wipe out all the demons that cross my path!"

"If you want to receive your light punishment while kicking and screaming, I'll be willing to be harder on you. After all, I've learned from Mother Violet how to be a proper mother," Sakuya said, "Get ready, I'm about to teach you some manners and discipline, young man!"

* * *

 _ **Jurabi: Alright, chapter nine is down. Two more chapters and everyone will finally be able to review in a normal fashion. (Seriously, fanfiction, this issue needs to be fixed along with the inability to delete every single old P.M. conversation!) Putting my mini-rant aside, I'd like to thank my friend, LazyFox, again for helping me plow through this chapter.**_

 _ **Lazyfox: I was basically the side character who was reading and throwing out idea lol**_

 _ **Jurabi: You did more than just that. You wrote a bit and listened to my ideas and commented on them. That's way more than I did for you. Anyways, guys again I am very sorry that some of you can't put your reviews in the review section. Please be patient until chapter 12 because that is the chapter this remake hasn't reached yet. I started over at about chapter 11 as far as I could tell looking through the review section.**_

 _ **Lazyfox: On here can be very annoying I know, but if you can send a review through pm if you can to show your support and to show your understanding of the situation. It**_ be _ **a big**_ thing to _ **for**_ Jurabi _ **to see that you guys all love his work when he tries his hardest. Thank you ^w^**_

 _ **Jurabi: Yes and please go have a look at Lazy's stuff as well. And that's all we have for today. If you want to share your thoughts, write up a great review. And if you haven't already, hit that favorite and follow button for both the story and myself! I'll see you in the next chapter!**_

 _ **Lazyfox: Hope you all have a good morning, evening or night and I hope to see you all again next time. Bye-bye~ :3**_


	10. Abusive Childhood

**Jurabi: Okay, so before we begin this chapter, I have to let you all know a little update to the last chapter. I forgot to keep consistent with Ackmor nicknaming Belle "Hime" since he said he would start doing that in the Valentine's Special so when you see Ackmor calling Belle "Hime" here all of a sudden, that's why. Anyways, let's get started with the next chapter.**

 **Previously on One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates…**

 _ **"That is where the water of any sewage goes," Hana said, "Out to sea."**_

 _ **"Ew…so that's where your…" Ackmor asked.**_

 _ **"Uh, yeah?" Yoshino asked through Momo, "Wait you didn't know this?"**_

 _ **"No," Ackmor said.**_

 _ **Everyone but Belle looked at the android with confused and slightly bewildered faces.**_

 _ **"Then…where'd you think our piss goes, Ackmor?" Kaisetsu asked.**_

 _ **"I thought it just vanishes," Ackmor said.**_

 **And now, back to Oda-senpai's greatness.**

* * *

 **Abusive Childhood**

Sakuya and Daimon were in the middle of a staredown in the sewers of Towa Island with Belle, Ackmor, and Hana watching from the side.

"Shouldn't we help Sakuya," Ackmor asked feeling uneasy about Sakuya's opponent.

"Sakuya said she could handle this so why do we need to stop her," Belle said placing her hands behind her head, "Besides, her opponent is a little kid. This should be a cake-walk for her."

"To be frank, I too am also wary about this boy," Hana said, "Something about him just seems...dark and foreboding. It's the same with the rest of the kids too."

"Nah, you guys are being paranoid," Belle said, "He's just a kid. What's there to be afraid of?"

Daimon growled at the fact that people are still underestimating him as he released a dark aura from his body in anger, "So you still think it's funny to think so little of me, huh?"

"What?" Sakuya asked in shock as the air around her suddenly became stiff and lifeless.

Daimon's blue eyes changed to yellow and a black bat appeared on his back which he pulled out and held in both of his hands. "When I'm done turning your demon friend into crumpled paper, you're all next!" He shouted as he rushed towards Sakuya preparing to attack.

When Sakuya quickly used her right leg to block the bat's strike, the sudden collision burst caused the sewer to slightly crumble. The siren was left in a state of shock form the sheer power her opponent possessed as she jumped away from him.

"Whoa! I thought the sewer was going to fall apart on top of us," Belle said.

"Can we _now_ help Sakuya out," Ackmor said.

"No, everyone go somewhere that is safe. Preferably out of the sewers," Sakuya said.

"Sakuya, this isn't the time to be focused on a battle by yourself," Ackmor said, "You'll have a better chance at winning if we all worked together."

"I appreciate your concern for me, Ackmor-kun, but please let me do this on my own," Sakuya said smiling at them.

"Sakuya…" Ackmor said.

Belle placed a hand on Ackmor's shoulder, "Don't worry about Saku-chan, Acky. If she says she can take this kid on, the only thing we can do as crewmates is to cheer her on."

"She's right," Hana said, "My mother taught me that you should never interrupt your ally's duel as a sign of honor and respect. Your friend is willing to accept the consequences of declining aid to fight her opponent on her own."

"I...don't like it, but I understand," Ackmor said, "Just be careful, Sakuya."

"I will, Ackmor-kun," Sakuya said.

"Are you all done talking," Daimon asked getting annoyed, "I don't like spending so much time killing chatty demons."

"Yes, I am afraid I don't like to waste time disciplining an uncultured juvenile like you, so I'll make this as quick as possible," Sakuya said as she moved her blocking leg a bit, " _I shouldn't stay on the defensive for too long. A few more hits from his bat and my bones are done for."_

Daimon rushed at Sakuya again with another attack prepared, "Earthshatter!" He shouted as he slammed his bat onto the ground causing it to break apart from under Sakuya's feet.

Sakuya jumped up high in the air and then performed a forward flip with her right leg out ready to counter attack, "Heaven's Kick!" She shouted as she performed a downwards kick towards Daimon; however, the moment Sakuya's attack connected, she somehow phased through Daimon's body. "What?"

"Hero Knight's Strike!" Daimon shouted as he spun around and put all of his force into the swing of his bat to give it maximum power.

Sakuya quickly reacted by putting her all into blocking the attack with her left leg, but the attack ended up sending her flying, "Ahh!" She screamed as she crashed against the ground.

"Sakuya," Ackmor shouted in concerned.

"What in the world just happened," Hana asked, "It's like her attack just went through her."

"How'd you like that good ol' beating from this 'kid', demon," Daimon taunted.

Sakuya stood back up feeling a little pain on her legs, "Damn...you're really strong with that bat! I wouldn't be surprised if you've made countless home runs with that power."

"Pah, I hate baseball," Daimon said, "All the coaches did was boss me around like my demon mother! Thinking about them now makes me want to kill them with this very bat."

"That's insane," Sakuya shouted, "Those adults knew the game better than you did. They were just trying to guide you and you want to kill them?! Now you're just a self-righteous boy who doesn't take orders!"

"And you point is," Daimon asked, "I act the way I want to act and hate whoever I want to hate! I earned the right to do as I please and no demon is going to talk down to me for that! Earthshatter!" He shouted as he used his groundbreaking attack again.

This time Sakuya dodged to her left side, but when her feet touched the ground, she felt a sting of pain on her left leg which made her stumble a bit, "Ngh, I didn't think he would cause damage to my bones this fast."

"Prepare to die, demon," Daimon shouted as he smashed the concrete ground sending some concrete blocks into the air, "1st Strike!" He shouted as he used his bat to shoot the blocks of concrete towards Sakuya like a baseball.

Sakuya used her right leg to break the first concrete.

"2nd Strike!" Daimon shouted as he launched the second shot at her.

Sakuya again used her right leg to break the second one, "I am sorry Father Sanji, but I must go against your teachings since this is an opponent I cannot defeat with my legs alone." She thought as she took a different stance, which Belle notices.

"That stance," Belle said.

"What is she up to," Hana asked, "Did she figure out how she's going to win."

"Well, I'm not entirely sure, but I do know that she is going to do something that goes against her father's teachings," Belle said.

"Her father's teachings," Ackmor asked.

"3rd Strike!" Daimon shouted as he shot the last shot at her and then rushed forward knowing that Sakuya would destroy it.

"One rule that Uncle Sanji always follows himself is to never fight with hands," Belle said.

"Now it's my turn to go on the offensive," Sakuya shouted as she kicked the last concrete shot and saw Daimon rushing in for a strike.

"Not if I have anything to say about that," Daimon shouted as he swung his bat at Sakuya.

Sakuya managed to sidestep out of the way of the strike and then raised her right arm to attack Daimon with her closed palm; however, Daimon saw her attack and quickly phased through it again.

"Not again," Ackmor said, "And Sakuya had the element of surprise."

As Daimon phased through Sakuya's attack, the siren had finally figured out the secret of her opponent's mysterious power, "No human can have a power this abnormal unless…" She said as she embedded her left palm with water.

"I have you now," Daimon shouted as he swung his bat, "Hero Knight's Strike!"

"So do I," Sakuya shouted as she ducked under Daimon's attack and quickly struck him right below his knee with her water embedded palm strike, "Water Palm Strike!"

The palm strike caused Daimon to lose his balance as he went tumbling to the ground.

"Ngh...what," Daimon asked in shock as he struggled to stand up, "You shouldn't have been able to hit me!"

"I thought that too," Sakuya said as she turned to her opponent, "What I just did was just me trying to prove a theory I had, and it turns out that I was correct. You must be a Devil Fruit user, am I correct?"

"He is," Ackmor asked.

"It should have been obvious," Hana said, "Name a human who can cause his own body to become transparent without the use of a devil fruit?"

"That's most obvious way you can tell if someone has eaten a devil fruit," Belle said, "They grant any regular human special powers that are uncommon in the world. There can only be one devil fruit per ability."

"And that kid is an example of this," Hana said, "Don't expect to see another devil fruit similar to his."

Sakuya, although showing signs that her legs where hurting her with each step, slowly walked towards Daimon, "Had enough?"

"Not, by a long shot," Daimon growled as he slowly got back up, "Don't think you've won this fight. You may have uncovered the secret to my Phase Phase Fruit, but that will only get you so far."

"Not as far as you will go," Sakuya shouted, "Nerve Strike!" She shouted as she embedded her palm with water again and struck Daimon on both of his legs.

"Wha-Aaah!" Daimon screamed as he suddenly lost his balance and fell onto the ground, "M-my legs...I can't feel them anymore."

"You won't be moving for a while," Sakuya said, "I've struck the points where your brain sends commands to the nervous system of your legs disconnecting them. Basically, I hit you on your legs and you can't move them no matter how much you want to."

"Why you…! That's cheating," Daimon shouted.

"Maybe you didn't get the memo, but battles aren't meant to be fought fair and square," Sakuya said, "Never treat life like a game, kid, or life itself will treat you like an expendable game piece."

"Way to go, Saku-chan~!" Belle cheered.

"It was a little close, but she made it through," Ackmor said, "She really surprised me with that thing she did with her palms."

"Yep, that's Saku-chan for you," Belle said, "Uncle Sanji didn't skip a single lesson with you, did he Saku-chan?"

"Actually since my father refused to put me through training, seeing as I am a girl and all, it was Mother Viola who taught me my leg techniques," Sakuya said, "The stuff I did with my palms was actually new Fishman Karate that Uncle Jimbei taught me."

"..." Hana remained silent as she listened to their conversation.

"Fishman Karate," Ackmor asked.

"For now, let me just say that I am more than just my father," Sakuya said, "Of course I value my father's rule of not using hands to fight, but...he didn't say _palms_...did he?"

"He got mad at you when you found that loophole, didn't he?" Belle asked.

"Yep, he did," Sakuya admitted remembering the lecture she got when her father found out about her new fighting style.

Without a means to escape quickly, Daimon tries a desperate attempt to crawl away undetected, "I've got to warn Erica. These demons aren't normal."

"And where do you think you're going," Sakuya said as she stood in Daimon's way.

"Out of my way, demon," Daimon said, "You've won the fight so don't you have anything else to do?"

"I do, but you are my biggest concern right now," Sakuya said as she knelt down to his level, "I still need to discipline you on the concept of manners, so let's start from the beginning. My name is Sakuya. Not demon."

"You think that after one cheated fight, I would submit and surrender to your ways of speaking," Daimon asked as he stood up, "Not a damn chance, demon!"

"Again with the demon stuff," Ackmor said.

"Saku-chan, we're kinda wasting our time on this kid," Belle said, "It's not surprising that after that beating he still won't shut up. Kids are tough to keep quiet after all."

"...But I don't understand," Sakuya said, "What is it about adults that you hate so much that you would call them something as horrible as demons?"

"It hasn't gotten through your thick skull yet," Daimon asked surprised at how naïve Sakuya was, "I already told you: all adults are enemies of kids. That's why me and the Warriors of Hope are gonna hunt down every last demon to the last teenager and then we're going to make a peaceful paradise for children only!"

"I don't believe that," Sakuya rebutted.

"Oh, so you want proof that adults are evil?" Daimon asked, "Well here's some food for thought: just because adults gave birth to us and raised us, they think they can control us too! What child wants to live a life of slavery hidden under a parent's so-called love for them? As a hero of kids everywhere, it is my sworn duty to hunt them down and set all kids free!"

"That's horrible," Sakuya said, "Don't you realize that you'll all end up growing up as adults too, right?"

"I won't become an adult!" Daimon shouted. "I made a promise with the Warriors of Hope. I made a promise with Erica…that if I am going to turn into a mean, smelly, ugly, dirty Demon, I'd rather die as a kid!"

"…That's so stupid…" Sakuya said.

"What did you say?" Daimon asked.

"I said that's so stupid," Sakuya said, "Your lives, the lives of children, are too short to end so quickly."

"What are you talking about?" Daimon asked.

"You've never thought about that at all," Sakuya asked, "Before, you said that you're not like cowardice adults, but here you are thinking about ending your own life at such a young age out to prevent yourself from becoming one. I don't know about you, but ending your own life that way is a sign of fear. So to me, you're now acting like a hypocritical leader. Is that the kind of leader and hero you're expecting all of your kid friends to praise and worship? One who can't even admit he is afraid?"

Daimon's eyes widen as his facial expression slowly turned into a horrified one, "A-afraid…? B-But...I-I'm...th-their hero...I-I'm...their l-leader. I-I'm not...a-a-a-fr-fr-fraid..."

"Uh...is he okay," Hana asked getting a gut feeling that something bad was going to happen from Daimon's face alone.

"Please, I beg of you," Sakuya said, "Stop this senseless journey of killing innocent people. If you are afraid of adults, then don't be. Not all of them are as terrible as you are lead to believe."

"A-Afraid...no way," Daimon said with a fake confident smile, "If I...hunt down every single Demon...then nobody has to be afraid anymore! Th-They won't have to be afraid of the violence and the pain!"

"Daimon, I know what you want is for the best of kids, but you're also going about it the wrong way," Sakuya said, "You could end up making yourself a target for adults because of the fear you plant in their hearts of you. Then eventually, everyone will be afraid of you."

At this point, Daimon had completely shut down, "W-Won't have to..be...Afraid…." He said as tears start to form in his eyes.

"Daimon," Sakuya asked as she grew concerned for the boy, "Are you listening to me?"

Suddenly, Daimon clenched his head and started to let tears run down his cheeks and he broke down into painful sobs, "I-I won't ***sob*** be ***sob*** afraid ***sob*** I'm not ***sob*** scared ***sob*** at all...!"

"D-Daimon," Sakuya called out to him in extreme shock from what was happening before her.

"What's wrong with him," Belle said.

"Was it something you said, Sakuya," Ackmor asked.

"No, I didn't say anything," Sakuya said.

"I don't have to be scared of the ***sob*** the dark and the pain and the alcohol smell," Daimon sobbed as a dark aura began to surround his entire body.

"What the hell's going on with his body," Sakuya asked.

"Guys, I don't think the sewers is the best place to be in right now...for anyone," Hana said.

" ***sob*** Not anymore," Daimon screamed, " ***sob*** Not anymore, not anymore! No matter how much you beat me, I won't be afraid anymore! You hear me!? Not going ***sob*** be afr-aid..."

"Daimon…" Sakuya whispered before she thought, " _There's something fowl in the air. The siren blood inside of me is, for some reason, finding familiarity in the darkness that I sense. Why?"_

Daimon stared at his own hand and noticed something that slightly confused him, "M-my hand...i-it's...sh-shaking...N-No...No!" He whispered as he held his arm, which appeared to have a long jagged scar on it, tightly. As he did, his past began to haunt him.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

" _HEY, YOU SHITTY BRAT! COME OVER HERE THIS INSTANT!" Daimon's drunken mother screamed as the timid four-year-old Daimon slowly walked over to her._

" _Y-Yes, m-mommy?" Daimon asked._

" _Why didn't you clean the dishes like I ordered you to?" His mother asked him as she sent him a glare._

 _Daimon's gaze turned to the ground as he barely even breathed, "M-Mommy...th-the sink is too high for me t-to re-"_

 _Daimon's mother slapped him before he could finish speaking. "ENOUGH EXCUSES! I TOLD YOU TO WASH THE DISHES NOT TO BACK-TALK ME YOU DAMN BRAT!" the drunk of a mother yelled as she stomped on the little four year old's chest._

" _A-Aah! M-Mommy, y-you're h-h-hurting me again…" Daimon cried in agony as he wished for the beating to stop like he had always done when his mother was in this state every single night._

" _OH NOW YOU'RE TELLING ME WHAT TO DO TOO?! YOU'RE JUST LIKE THAT WORTHLESS! NO GOOD! PIECE OF SCUM! FATHER OF YOURS!" She yelled as she put more force in her attacks before she picked him up and slung him into the beer stained walls of their home._

" _N-No! No Mommy, I'm n-not!" Daimon replied as he feared that his mother would do something to him that's even worse than what she's done. "P-Please...I-I'll wash the d-dishes...just don't h-hurt me again! I w-want you to be h-happy…" He whispered as tears rolled down his eyes._

" _Happy?" His mother asked._

" _Y-You've never smiled ever since Daddy died, and instead of being happy, you would always drink that strange drink and start hurting me!" Daimon said, "I...I'm sorry th-that I didn't wash the dishes. Pl-please don't be mad again...I want my happy mommy again!"_

 _Daimon's mother stopped beating him. She stared at him for a long time before she broke down into loud cruel laughter that scared the poor beaten child. "You want me happy? If you want to see me happy then stop existing! My life was so much better without you in it! There was always enough food in the house just for me and my husband, but when I found out I was pregnant with_ _ **you**_ _everything changed!" she screamed at him as she started to throw things his way._

 _Daimon curled up into a ball crying and covering his head. "Mo...Mommy st...stop!" he wailed over the loud crashes of broken furniture._

" _He had to start working overtime just to provide food for us! He went out on more dangerous fishing expedition because of you!" His mother shouted with venom-drenched words, "All of this...could have been avoided if he would have just allowed me to abort you! Do you know what that means?"_

" _N...No," Daimon choked out scared to hear anymore._

" _It means I was going to have you killed inside my stomach! You were never supposed to enter this world! You were an unwanted burden in my life that ruined everything!" She yelled at him. "Because of you, your father is dead! He died and left me to take care of a worthless little worm like you! I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU! DIE JUST DIE AND GET OUT OF MY LIFE!" She screamed as she threw her bottle of alcohol at the boy._

 _On impact, the bottle shattered into sharp glass pieces. One of the pieces stuck into Daimon's left arm and ripped across his whole arm. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The boy screamed in pain as he held onto his blood-pouring arm in pain._

" _Good. Go ahead and bleed to death you worthless creatin! No one will miss you when you're gone!" Daimon's mother yelled._

 _All Daimon could do was just lie there still and motionless as he watched his own blood continue to drip from his severely wounded arm, "Why…? Why does this always happen to me?" He thought as his tears fell from his eyes, "I...I hate being hated...by my mother. Why does nobody love me?! What did I do to deserve this?!" The more he even thought about what transpired, the more he came to realize that the mother who was once always happy was gone for good just like his father. His tears began to stain the carpet floor as he let out painful loud sobs._

 _As Daimon sat there writhing in pain, his mother staggered to the door, "I'm going back to the bar, and if you are unable to even bleed to death then you better get up and wash those dishes by the time I get back or else!"_

" _Poor boy…" a voice said._

 _Daimon's heart skipped a beat at the sound of the voice thinking that his mother was going to hurt him, but the voice was different from his mother's. It was darker and more morbid than her mother's._

" _Wh-Who's there," Daimon's mother asked as she looked around._

" _Is that a way to treat a child," the voice asked as a woman entered the room from the shadows._

" _Who the hell are you?!" Daimon's mother asked the woman, "What are you doing in my house?!"_

 _When Daimon looked at the woman who had walked in front of him, the first thing he thought was how intimidating she looked. However, he couldn't make out her whole appearance since she was projecting an aura so dark that it made it difficult to identify her._

" _My nose picked up the scent of darkness that stains this house," the woman said, "Both you and the boy have dark souls that I need." She said as she lifted her left arm and unwrapped the bandages. When she did so, her arm suddenly mutated and grew larger taking the form of a beast's dark red arm that had sharp claws and a menacing aura._

 _Seeing the demonic-looking arm made Daimon and his mother's heart race in horror. Daimon could do absolutely nothing but watch as the woman slowly made her approach to his mother._

" _S-Stay away from me!" Daimon's mother shouted, "I-If you're here to eat our souls they take that brat's instead! His soul is worthless compared to mine."_

" _That's not what my nose says," the woman said, "Your soul is ripe with darkness while his soul simply has the seeds. My guess is that you did something to make the boy sad." She said as she used her demonic hand to quickly grab Daimon's mother in a tight hold._

" _Aaaah, l-let me go! Please," Daimon's mother shouted. "I'll do anything you ask! I don't want to die!"_

" _Unfortunately, I need to eat dark souls to survive," the woman said as she smirked, "And I am sorry to tell you this, but I always savor my food so your suffering will be close to eternity." She said as her demonic arm began to glow and suck the life out of Daimon's mother._

 _Daimon's mother reached out to Daimon, "H-Help me, b-brat!"_

 _Daimon watched in horror as the last of his family is taken away from him. He wanted to help, but something in his mind was telling him not to move an inch. As he watch the life escape from his mother's eyes, he couldn't help but crack a little smile. The woman who had always abused him was finally out of his life and he was free at last._

" _You," the demonic woman said as she let go of the new dead corpse and turned to Daimon, "I smell your darkness, boy. It's growing."_

" _M-My...d-darkness," Daimon asked._

" _Tell me," the woman said as he approached the boy, "Did you enjoy watching me kill you mother, if that was her?"_

" _...N-No, I-"_

 _The woman gave the boy a stone-cold glare from her yellow-colored eyes as she placed her demonic arm threateningly close to Daimon, "Lying to me is the last thing you want to do in this situation, kid. I may not enjoy unripened souls, but I can leave room for lying souls if I so desire it. I'll ask again: Did you enjoy watching me kill your mother?"_

 _Daimon gulped as he let out a sigh, "...Yes. I did."_

 _The woman recalled her demonic arm and wrapped the bandage around her left arm returning it to normal, "Don't get the wrong idea. I didn't kill your mother to save you. I did it because I was hungry. Later on when you've maybe killed some people, I'll be back for you next."_

" _...Th-thank you…" Daimon said._

" _Huh," the woman asked, "You're thanking the woman who's going to eat you when you grow up?"_

" _Honestly, I would prefer it if you eat me now," Daimon said as tears fell down his cheeks, "It's like my mother said: my soul is worthless as is my existence, so why not just end it here?"_

" _No, you fool," the woman said as she turned from him, "Your darkness is not ripe enough. It doesn't just grow because you want to die."_

 _At this point, Daimon was getting annoyed. He now wants, more than anything, to die and the woman before him refuses to do so, "S-so….I'm not good enough to eat because I haven't done anything bad?" He asked as he walked over to his mother's corpse and grabbed a knife, an action that caught the woman's eye, "WELL HOW'S THIS?!" Daimon screamed as he began to repeatedly stab his mother's corpse, "I HATE MY MOTHER! SHE DID NOTHING BUT BEAT ME, HATE ME, CHOKE ME, CALL ME HORRIBLE THINGS, AND EVEN TRIED TO KILL ME!" He screamed with each word he plunged the knife into his mother's corpse, "I WAS HAPPY THAT YOU KILLED HER; IN FACT, I EVEN SMILED IN GLEE AND REFUSED TO SAVE HER OUT OF SPITE! I….HOPE….SHE'S...BURNING...IN...HELL...RIGHT...NOW!"_

 _After Daimon had finished his outburst, he dropped the knife and stared at the blood that was spilt on his hand. A small chuckle escaped from his mouth as he looked at the damage he inflicted on his mother's corpse._

" _..." The mysterious woman stayed silent before she walked up to the boy, "I am sorry, but I cannot fulfill your wish yet."_

" _What?!" Daimon shouted angrily._

" _But," The woman said as a means to interrupt the angry boy, "For now, you may be of use to me until then."_

" _Use to you," Daimon asked._

" _I have one question to ask you, boy," the woman said, "Are you afraid?"_

" _Afraid," Daimon asked. "No, I'm not afraid! Not anymore!"_

" _You better be sure of yourself," the woman said, "Because what I am about to give you is a power that only brave kids can control."_

" _I...I don't understand," Daimon said._

" _You will in due time," the woman said as she placed a hand over Daimon's head, "But right now, I need you to do what your heart tells you. What is it that you want to do?"_

" _...I...I want to help any other kid who went through what I did," Daimon said after he thought about what he really wanted to do other than to die, "I want to separate all the innocent children who go through the abuse of their parents."_

" _And do you know how you are going to accomplish this," the woman asked as her demon arm began to form and glow on top of Daimon._

" _I...I have…" Daimon whispered as a dark aura began to seep into his heart and soul before the boy made an evil glare, "I must kill the parents who threaten the very existence of all children."_

 _The woman reverted her demonic arm again and patted Daimon on the head, "That's a good boy. All children suffer the life of parents who hold too much power over them. This power will ensure that your goal will be achieved, but only if you do what I say and only if you never give into fear."_

" _Fear…" Daimon whispered._

" _Yes, now come with me before others take notice of what has transpired here," the woman said._

" _Where are we going," Daimon asked._

" _To a place where you can begin the journey towards your goal," The woman answered as she created a dark red portal, "Always remember, child: a person with ambitions like yours, has no reason to be afraid of anything."_

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"I...I didn't do ***sob*** anything wrong! ***sob*** " Daimon silently sobbed as he stared at his wounded shaking hand. Slowly but surely, he started to become enraged as he began to repeatedly beat his arm with his own fist which caused everyone else's eyes to widen in shock, "STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP! SHAKING! I'M NOT AFRAID! I'M NOT AFRAID! I'M NOT AFRAID...OF! ANYTHING! YOU HEAR ME! STOP!" He screamed as he beat his arm to the point where purple bruises are visible, "I AM A FEARLESS LEADER! I AM GOING TO SAVE ALL THE CHILDREN! EVEN IF IT KILLS ME! _SHE_ GAVE ME MORE THAN MOMMY EVER DID! NO... _SHE'S_ MY REAL MOMMY, NOT THE OTHER ONE! I AM NOT AFRAID! NOT ANYMORE!" He screamed as the final strike was strong enough to break the bones on his arm.

Sakuya covered her mouth after witnessing how cruelly Daimon treated his arm, "D-Daimon…please...stop hurting yourself..."

Daimon let out an evil smirk, "Hehehe...Hahahaha...HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He let out a bone-chillingly dark laugh, "I...am...not...afraid...of...anything."

"Be ready for anything," Hana said, "The air itself has shifted to a more foul scent."

"Sa...ku...ya…" Daimon whispered as he glared at the siren, "Do you truly know the meaning of fear?"

"I do, Daimon, more than you know," Sakuya said, "I don't want to fight you anymore."

"Well that's too bad, because I'm ready for round 2!" Daimon shouted as he began to change.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile back at the underground hideout, Kaisetsu sense a dark power from the sewers.

"What's wrong, Kaisetsu," Yoshino asked through Momo noticing Kaisetsu's thousand-yard stare.

"I sense something…" Kaisetsu said, "A dark presence I've never felt since…" She didn't finish her statement.

"...Since what?" Yoshino asked through Momo, but didn't get an answer out of the silent swordswoman.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Jotaro and Cheren, who were also searching for their prey, also felt the air shift due to Daimon's released power.

"Whoa! Is it Christmas already?!" Jotaro asked.

"Daimon...he's being pushed to the edge," Cheren said, "Come on, Jotaro. I think I know where are target is."

"Ooooh, fun~!" Jotaro squealed.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Megami's Four Goddesses of Twilight (her four hamsters) were frightened by the dark power Daimon released, so their owner did her hardest to calm them down.

"Stupid, Daimon," Megami growled, "He could have picked a better time to become agitated by the word 'afraid'. Now my Four Goddesses of Twilight can't perform at their best." She said before she put on a sad face, "I wouldn't blame him though...All of us in the Warriors of Hope have our share of words that freak us out…"

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Erica was giggling in glee as she air shifted into a darker tone signaling that someone had activated their dark power.

"Yay~! Everything is going according to Big Sis' plan!" Erica shouted, "Now I just need the rest of those kids to activate this special power she gave all of them and Ms. Belle's crew will pass the test with flying colors and move on to the final exam. I can't wait!"

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, a few miles away from Towa Island, a small, black, one-man boat was sailing towards its destination. On it was a boy who shrouded himself in a veil of darkness to conceal his location to any other ship.

Upon sensing the change in the air around him and the rapid movement of the waves, he could tell what was going on.

"So this is your power at work, captain," the boy asked as he opened his yellow eyes which appeared to be similar to that of a hawk's. "If so, then don't blame me if Ibuki is dead in the middle of all that." He said as he prepared for his arrival at the island.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Back at the sewers, Daimon's transformation has stopped. Everyone looked at his change with terrified expressions. Daimon's broken arm had grown longer and it now had claws making it take the appearance of a demon with its dark red aura appearing to be the same demonic arm as the woman who gave him the power in his past, but this arm's influence spread all the way to his left eye to the middle of his left breast plate. His eye became black with red irises with the veins becoming even more visible.

"Daimon...who did this to you…" Sakuya asked.

"That...that claw…" Ackmor said as he stared at Daimon's demonic claw.

"Acky," Belle asked.

Suddenly, visions started to flash through Ackmor's mind all at once which caused the android's head to hurt.

" _I am a cursed woman,"_ A woman's voice said, " _Nothing more. Nothing less."_

" _Why? Why do this to all of us,"_ A crying voice asked, " _What did my people do to deserve this?!"_

" _Really?"_ A voice from a distant memory asked, " _You would rather die than use this power? Pathetic pacifist…"_

"Aaaaaaaaaah!" He screamed as he clenched his head in pain.

"Acky~!" Belle shouted in concern, "What's wrong?"

"M-my head!" Ackmor screamed, "What are these voices in my head?! These images! I-I feel like...my head is going to explode!"

"Belle, Hana, get Ackmor-kun out of here quickly," Sakuya shouted. "I don't care where you go, just as long as it's far from here!"

"What about you," Hana asked.

"I know what is wrong with Daimon," Sakuya said, "He's been afflicted by some kind of curse and I am going to find a way to save him from it."

"Siren, whatever feelings of sympathy you have for this boy, you had better place it aside," Hana advised, "This time, he is willing to kill you with all that he is now."

"No...I will save him," Sakuya said, "Couldn't you tell by the painful cries he let out? I understand now...I understand why he hates adults and with that, I can save him."

"Such naivety," Hana muttered, "Do as you will."

"Saku-chan, are you sure you can do this?" Belle asked.

"I know I can do this," Sakuya said, "Not get Ackmor-kun out of here. This is going to get rough." She said before she thought, "Especially with my slight injuries…"

"Okay," Belle said as she helped Ackmor up to a standing position, "Can you walk, Acky?"

"...B-Barely…" Ackmor said still clutching his head, "...What did I do? Did I...hurt someone…?"

"..." Belle remained silent as she and Hana helped guide Ackmor away from the fight.

With the others gone, Sakuya could now focused on the demonized Daimon.

"Now your friends have abandoned you, Sakuya," Daimon said with a demonic voice, "What will you do now?! Continue preaching on about how parents would never do the same?!"

"In case you missed our conversation, they didn't abandon me," Sakuya explained, "They're helping another one of my friends to safety, but this isn't about them. This is about you and me."

"You and me?" Daimon asked.

"...Yes," Sakuya said, "You and I are not that far apart. I too was abandoned by my parents….my real parents, that is. Until Father Sanji and Mother Viola found me and raised me as their child just as you probably were too. So...I understand your hatred towards parents. I still hate my real ones and, at one point, hated my foster parents for being so against my search for my real parents. Despite that, I still want to find my real parents. That is the reason why I joined Belle's crew, for that chance."

Daimon became increasingly angry as Sakuya continued to talk and yelled, "SHUT UP! THAT'S NOT THE SAME! YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND MY PAIN!"

"No...I won't understand your pain _fully_ ," Sakuya admitted, "But I understand enough to save you from the darkness that binds you...all with a song I dedicated to my parents both real and...well just as real, even if we're not a biological family."

"Sing whatever terrible song you wish," Daimon growled, "It won't save you from my power! I want to show every adult in the world...WHAT BEING AFRAID REALLY FEELS LIKE! NO SONG CAN SAVE ANYONE FROM FEAR!"

"This song can, because it is said in siren tradition to be the song that can cure any emotional discontent including fear," Sakuya said as water began to surround her, "You...are an ocean of waves…"

* * *

 _ **Jurabi: Oh...my...goodness...What...the...fuck...have I done this time. Can we all just agree that you cannot leave me alone to create a backstory? I mean, I know LazyFox can pull an awful backstory out too but damn...I just cannot create a simple backstory can I? And now….we have little kids, about 12 to 13, being given demonic powers.**_

" _ **Little kids and elephants are made into vicious killers with demonic powers with some abusive backstories on the side"**_

" _ **Just Espada4Jurabi things" (P.S. Spoiler: It gets worse)**_

 _ **Jurabi: So for Sakuya's move set, the reason why I had to have her break Sanji's rule of no hands is that I didn't want her to be a Sanji 2.0. I mean...she basically has Sanji's personality except a bit more selective with the men. Basically, Sakuya is a combination of Chun-Li from Street Fighter…(kinda) and Hinata Hyuga from Naruto which is fucking awesome. I'm aiming for more characterization for her so be expecting some kind of backstory next chapter. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It's not 10k because of the transformation of Daimon happened and I didn't want it to be resolved in one chapter. But hey, Sakuya's song hype is here so….get fucking hyped. If you want to share your thoughts, write up a great review. And if you haven't already, hit that favorite and follow button for both the story and myself! I'll see you in the next chapter!**_


	11. Lost in Thoughts

**Jurabi: ...Fuck this chapter for making me love it and hate it at the same time.**

 **Sorry about that, I was...dealing with a minor rage fart...since that's a thing apparently. Heeeeeellooooo~! This is Espada4Jurabi here bringing you another chapter of One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates. Now...three months of not updating shouldn't be that bad if it wasn't for the fact that this came way later than I wanted it to. Like...I was wanting to finish this in mid-May but so much stuff happened and I got so many games that...I didn't know what to do except postpone it so again...I'm sorry for the wait.**

 **Now before we go into this, this chapter is gonna have some major contradictions in it. If you spot it, don't worry, I know it exists and I'll explain later why the contradictions exist in this chapter at the end.**

 **Okay, so...about the stuff with Pudding in chapter 862 (the reason I'm talking about this because it has some affect on Sanji/Viola, my preferred ship), I'm sorry but I did not like the way Oda showed her backstory. I know that it's pretty clear that I hate Pudding because of her manipulation and her backstory should have made me feel bad for her, but honestly, her backstory wasn't presented well. Wow, I actually didn't like something The Great and Powerful GOda-senpai gave to us. Eh, that really isn't a surprise since Oda has pulled some shit that made me question him plus Dressrosa's entirety. He may be GOda-senpai, but I can see...unpolished writing when I see it.**

 **One thing that sets good backstories from the bad backstories are how well presented they are and the timing in which they are presented. Let this chapter be some form of an example of this.**

 **Previously on One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates…**

 _ **"For now, let me just say that I am more than just my father," Sakuya said, "Of course I value my father's rule of not using hands to fight, but...he didn't say palms...did he?"**_

 _ **"He got mad at you when you found that loophole, didn't he?" Belle asked.**_

 _ **"Yep, he did," Sakuya admitted remembering the lecture she got when her father found out about her new fighting style.**_

 **And now, back to Oda-senpai's greatness.**

* * *

 **Lost in Thoughts**

 _"Alright, my voice is at a perfect pitch and the lyrics are all in here," Sakuya, who was 8 years old, said as she pointed at her brain happily. "I can't wait to sing this to everyone."_

 _"Sakuya," A voice called, "I hope you've dressed up because breakfast is ready!"_

 _"Coming, Dad," Sakuya shouted as she looked at herself in the mirror._

 _She wore a deep purple dress with lilac lining along the bottom, center, top, and pockets, along with white spiked edging at the hem. She also wore a white, short-jacket over this with a big N button, purple plug-like strings, and purple lining and buckles on each shoulder sleeve. Her lilac shoes have blue and white accents and were also worn with blue and white striped stockings. On her wrist, she has white bracelets with a soft spiked material and small powder blue spots in the center._

 _Sakuya smiled at her cute appearance before she grabbed a purple backpack and ran out of her bedroom. When she entered the kitchen of the house she lived in with her family, she saw her father, Sanji finishing up the breakfast dishes and placing them on the table where her mother, Viola, sat smiling at her husband._

 _"Good morning, Mom, Dad," Sakuya cheered as she skipped into the kitchen._

 _"Good morning, Sakuya," Viola said, "You look so adorable with that wonderful dress."_

 _"Hehe, do I," Sakuya asked with a blush as she sat down at the table, "T-to be honest, other than Aunt Nami and Robin, I don't think the others would find my dress cute."_

 _"Well they will have to, otherwise, they'll be missing a few of their teeth," Sanji said with a joking smile while also having a hint of seriousness to his tone._

 _"Sanji…" Viola said not finding Sanji's half-joke, half-threat amusing._

 _"I'm sorry dear, but I'm not the kind of father who takes insults towards my daughter positively," Sanji said as he placed a bowl of fruit in front of Sakuya. The fruit bowl contained strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries sprinkled in quinoa, honey, lime, and basil. "Anyways, here you go, Sakuya. I made your favorite: Quinoa Fruit Salad."_

 _Sakuya's eyes glittered in delight as she saw how elegant yet tasty the fruit salad was. So tasty, in fact, that she felt herself drool a bit before she picked up a spoon, "Thanks, Papa~!"_

 _Sanji smiled and patted his child on the head, "No thanks needed. You just eat up so you can have your energy to sing and dance in front of everyone."_

 _"Okay," Sakuya said as she began eating her fruit salad while relishing in the amazing taste that made her tingle_

 _"Oh I can't wait to see everyone's reaction to my precious child's wonderful dancing," Viola said getting excited as she remembered the dance practices she and Sakuya went through. "Given how well Sakuya learned how to dance so well, maybe I should work as a dance instructor. What do you think, dear?" She asked turning to her husband._

 _"Well I think that no matter what you do, you will always be perfect at it in my eyes, Viola," Sanji said as he gave his wife her breakfast and planted a kiss on her cheek._

 _"So good~!" Sakuya shouted too distracted by the splendid taste of her breakfast. "I wonder if I'll ever be able to make food like this. Are you still going to teach me, Papa?"_

 _"Hehe, I promised you that I would, didn't I," Sanji asked, "Once we have our reunion with our crew, I'll teach you everything I know."_

 _"Yay~! I can't wait," Sakuya said as she took another bite of her breakfast before asking another question. "Papa, can you tell me more about the kids I'm going to meet while we're at this reunion?"_

 _"Well, I don't know a whole lot about the kids, but I do know that the majority of them are girls like you," Sanji explained_

 _"Really?" Sakuya asked in shock, "Does that mean we'll have a sleepover?! Please?!"_

 _"No child should be allowed to stay up past their bedtime, sweetheart," Viola said, "It's not good for both your body and your pretty face. How else are you going to one day have a husband as handsome as your father?"_

 _"Eww!" Sakuya shouted, "I don't wanna have a husband! Uncle Chopper told me that you get cooties from touching on boys!"_

 _"Hehehe, well, I've got the cooties right now!" Viola said with a devilish smile, "And I'm going to give them to you, Sakuya!"_

 _"NO! GET AWAY FROM ME, MAMA!" Sakuya screamed as she tried to run away from her mother, but Viola managed to grab her and rubbed her cheeks up against Sakuya's. "EW MAMA! I DON'T WANT THE COOTIES!"_

 _"There's no need to be afraid, Sakuya," Viola said, "Cooties don't hurt at all. Once you get used to them, you'll finally find the man of your dreams just like me."_

 _"No! I don't wanna marry a boy," Sakuya shouted as she thrashed in her mother's arms, "Boy's are so disgusting!"_

 _Sanji was growing amused by the cute display of his wife and daughter and decided that it was enough, "Alright you two, it's almost time to go to the reunion. You go wash yourself with your mother and I'll be waiting outside, okay?"_

 _"Okay~!" Sakuya and Viola both said as Viola put Sakuya down._

 _Sakuya pouted before she said, "Now I have the stupid cooties. Thanks a lot, Mom!"_

 _"Oh don't give me that, darling," Viola said, "How about when we get to the reunion, we have Uncle Chopper look at you? He should be able to cure your cooties easy."_

 _"Will he?" Sakuya asked as if she had found the hope she was looking for._

 _"Would your mother ever lie?" Viola asked._

 _"Yay! Good riddance to nasty cooties!" Sakuya shouted, "Come on, let's hurry up so we can go!"_

 _"Hehe, alright, Sakuya but please don't run in the house," Viola said as she and Sakuya washed up and went outside to meet Sanji so they could travel to the Straw Hat reunion._

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _It had been four years since Kaisetsu had made her oath to Belle on the day Wolfie sacrificed himself to save both of them from the Boar King. Ever since that day, Kaisetsu has been training her hardest to become a swordswoman without fear. It was a difficult task due to her father, Zoro, being absolutely strict with her training._

 _Both Zoro and Kaisetsu were facing each other in training with worn out practice swords in their hands. Kaisetsu was panting heavily as she struggled a bit to hold her sword up._

 _"Your grip, stance, and breathing are all wrong, Kaisetsu," Zoro, who did not appear the slightest bit tired, advised to his daughter, "Don't focus on attacking from one direction. Vary your attacks angles to avoid becoming too predictable and adopt a stance that suits the sword. Calm your breathing and listen for the right moment to strike. Again!"_

 _"Yes, Father," Kaisetsu shouted, "One of these days I will make you sweat!"_

 _"You said that about four years ago and I haven't recalled ever sweating," Zoro said, "I told you before about what comes from making bold claims."_

 _"I know, Father," Kaisetsu said, "But I made an oath and a promise to Belle. I have to be without any fear and without any hesitation for her...and for Wolfie. Training with you all these years has brought me this far, but I want to go all the way."_

 _"That's the spirit," Zoro said, "Show me how dedicated you are to your friend!"_

 _"Here I come," Kaisetsu shouted as she rushed towards her father ready to strike._

 _In response, Zoro took a defensive stance and readied himself for Kaisetsu attack. Once both of them struck each other, there was a short pause before Kaisetsu fell over on the ground rubbing her sides._

 _"Ow…" Kaisetsu whined, "Did you really have to hit me that hard."_

 _"Did I," Zoro asked in immediate concern, "I'm sorry, Kaisetsu. I thought my counter strike wouldn't have hurt you that much."_

 _"It's fine, Father," Kaisetsu said as she sat up and looked at her practice sword, which had been broken during the strike exchange. "But you really hit so hard...I'm surprised I am still alive after all these years."_

 _"You did no less yourself," Zoro said as he showed her his slightly broken practice sword, "You see all these dents and nicks on your wooden sword? Each one of these marks is proof that you are learning, so don't be too hard on yourself."_

 _"Yes, Father," Kaisetsu said._

 _"One thing I will say to you, Kaisetsu, is that you're trying too hard to move your body," Zoro said, "You have to let your body move you. That's something I always do."_

 _"So is that why we get lost so many times when we go shopping," Kaisetsu asked._

 _"That…" Zoro said trying to find words to explain the peculiar phenomenon that is their poor sense of direction, "...is a possible explanation, but not likely."_

 _"Oh…" Kaisetsu said._

 _"Anyways, that will be enough for our training today," Zoro said, "Why don't you go wash up and get ready for our reunion with our friends?"_

 _"Okay, Father," Kaisetsu said as she ran inside her house and washed herself of the dirt and sweat she got from training._

 _Once the girl was finished washing herself, she went and got herself dressed for the reunion. On the top of her head, Kaisetsu wore a big white cap with light blue ruffles and a brown and gold under and centerpiece. To match the cap, she also wore an opened white jacket with powder blue markings, dark brown lining, and light colored brown fur. Around her neck is a light blue choker with a single white stripe in the middle and blue gem in the center. She also wore powder blue sandals with a white ribbon around in her right leg resembling a bandage._

 _"Wow, look who's walking around like a fashioned peacock," a voice said._

 _Kaisetsu let out a giggle as she turned to a girl, "Well, you look absolutely pretty yourself, Morgana."_

 _The girl named Morgana giggled with her little sister. She had pale skin and long green hair that fades to black tied up in a ponytail that fans out at the bottom. Morgana wore a gothic lolita-style outfit, consisting of a white blouse with a white collar, a black jacket that includes white ribbon lacing down the sleeves, fastened by a simple white ribbon across her chest to reveal her red tie, which consisted of a butterfly pattern, and the waist of her skirt, which is many-tiered and features white lace. She also wore knee-high stockings trimmed in ladder lace, red mary janes with a thick heel held on her feet by three gray buckles._

 _"Thanks, Kai," Morgana said, "I was beginning to wonder if I looked stupid or not. I want to look good in front of Belle and Merry this time."_

 _"There's no need to worry," Kaisetsu said, "Appearance isn't something Belle is obsessed with and Merry isn't really a talkative girl."_

 _"So why are Mom and Dad making us wear these clothes then?" Morgana asked, "I'd rather go with my training clothes instead."_

 _"Well we are going to a reunion and we have to look our best," Kaisetsu said. "Are you as excited as I am?"_

 _"I sure am," Morgana said, "What do you think the other kids will be like?"_

 _"Hmm...I don't know," Kaisetsu said before she let out a sly smirk, "But...I'm betting we'll meet some cute boys to play with~! Maybe you can have one of them as your boyfriend~!"_

 _"What the heck, Kai?!" Morgana asked while blushing, "I'm only 10!"_

 _"Teehee~! Relax, sis, I'm just teasing you!" Kaisetsu said._

 _"Well...you didn't have to tease about having a boyfriend," Morgana said with a pout, "What about you? Are you going to be looking for a boyfriend?"_

 _"Nope," Kaisetsu said, "I'm not even in my teens, Morg. What would Mom and Dad think if they hear their nine-year-old daughter talking about romance."_

 _"Hehe, the boys would be too scared of Dad to hang out with us," Morgana said with a giggle._

 _That was when the two girls heard a knock on the door._

 _"Kaisetsu, Morgana, are you two ready?" Robin's voice was heard from the other side of the door._

 _"We're ready, Mom!" Both the girls called before their mother walked into the room._

 _"Wow...you both look wonderful today," Robin said as she checked both of them from top to bottom, "Just let me braid your hair a slight bit and we'll be on our way."_

 _"Okay," Kaisetsu said as she and Morgana sat happily as Robin began braiding their hair._

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _Meanwhile on Fuusha Island, Nami was about to wake Belle up so she could get ready for the reunion; however, she soon discovered that the girl was nowhere in sight._

 _"Luffy!" Nami shouted as she rushed downstairs, "Where the hell is Belle?!"_

 _Luffy let out a yawn, showing how tired he was from waking up so early, "Isn't she supposed to be asleep?"_

 _"No she isn't," Nami said with concern, "That's why I'm asking you. Don't tell me she went out into the forest again…" She said as she rubbed her temples in frustration._

 _"Hold on then," Luffy said as he got up, "I'll go find her."_

 _"Please do, Luffy," Nami said worriedly as Luffy left the house to search for Belle._

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _"Ugh...this thing is so heavy…" Belle groaned as she was struggling to carry a huge boar she just killed back home. "But, man, are Mom and Dad are going to be so stoked when they see this big guy. You were a really tough boy to kill, you know?"_

 _Belle's entire body was dirty from top to bottom. She had received several cuts on her arms and legs from her fight against the wild boar all with a little stream of blood dripping from them._

 _"Aha! I found you, Belle!" Luffy's voice shouted._

 _Suddenly, Belle had trouble moving the boar's dead body. She turned around to find out what was wrong and saw her father sitting on the boar with a scoldy look on his face, which made Belle jolt a bit, "Ah! D-Dad! Hey there, how's it going?"_

 _"Good...aside from you disappearing so suddenly," Luffy said._

 _"That...uh...I was just going out for a little stroll," Belle lied, "Completely harmless stroll."_

 _"Then how do you explain this boar then," Luffy asked patting on the dead boar._

 _"Ummm...well…" Belle tried to come up with a reasonable explanation, but she stopped when she heard Luffy laughing._

 _"Haha, you don't have to tell me, Belle," Luffy said, "I know that you went out hunting again. What's there to hide?"_

 _"Yeah...I've been hunting again," Belle said, "I wanted to get the food for the reunion. You're mad at me, aren't you?"_

 _"...Are you kidding?!" Luffy asked as his eyes turned into stars of excitement and his mouth began to drool at the size of the boar, "You really outdid yourself this time, Belle. With a boar this big, I don't think even I will be able to steal food from the others after I'm done with my portion!"_

 _"Really?! I'm so glad!" Belle cheered as she hopped around and hugged her father, "I was worried that it might be too small."_

 _"Oh it's more than enough for the party, Belle," Luffy said as he hugged her daughter, "But I'm still mad at you for going out here without permission."_

 _"Oh, come on, Dad~!" Belle whined._

 _"No whining, young girl," Luffy said as he wrapped his rubber arms around the wild boar and began dragging it, "We're going back to the house and you are going to get an earful from your mother about this."_

 _"But I hate it when Mom gets mad," Belle whined as she rubbed her head, "My head still hurts from the last lecture she gave me!"_

 _"Your mom is trying to teach you not to do these things," Luffy said, "Why can't you be like Merry when it comes to listening to Nami? You don't see her receiving punishments."_

 _"I don't know," Belle said, "I just...act or something while Merry just takes a long time to decide on anything. She can't even decide on what flavor ice cream she wants without the ice cream man getting bored."_

 _"Shishishi, and she also had trouble picking a stuffed animal to sleep with," Luffy said, "So I just got her a little koala bear and now she loves it. I just love her indecisiveness. It's what makes her so cute."_

 _"What about me, Dad?" Belle asked, "Am I cute too?"_

 _"Of course you are, Belle," Luffy said with a smile, "Both you and Merry are my precious little princesses."_

 _"Yaay~! I'm a princess~!" Belle cheered as if today was going to be the best day of her life. Little did she know…_

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _"What do you have to say for yourself, Belle," Nami yelled at Belle, who was rubbing her head after it received a recent pounding._

 _"Oww….why do you hit so hard, Mom?" Belle said._

 _"Don't dodge my question, young girl," Nami said, "Why did you go out in the forest by yourself again?! Did you know how worried I was for you?! What do you think would have happened if a giant monster attacked you without your father there?!"_

 _"Well...I hunted down a giant boar so another monster wouldn't have been that hard to take down," Belle explained._

 _"That is not what I am talking about and you know it," Nami said, "You are an 8-year-old girl who has no reason to be venturing through the woods all alone! How do you think Merry would feel if her own sister suddenly died!"_

 _"B-Belle is...d-dead…?" a soft voice spoke._

 _Luffy, Nami, and Belle all turned to the source of the voice to see a small black haired girl holding a stuffed koala toy. The girl looked like she had just gotten out of bed and was about to cry._

 _"M-Merry!" Belle shouted as she waved at her, "No, I'm completely fine. There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm all here!"_

 _Merry's eyes widened when she saw the blood dripping from Belle's cuts and bruises. Despite Belle's words of reassurance, Merry began to bawl and ran to her sister hugging her, "WAAAAAAAAAH! BELLE, YOU DUMMY!"_

 _"Merry…" Belle said feeling terrible for making her sister cry._

 _"You know how much I hate seeing blood…" Merry said as she tried to clean away her tears, but they kept falling from her eyes, "Especially if it's on you!"_

 _Luffy gave his crying daughter a big hug to try and comfort her, "Don't cry, Merry. Belle didn't mean to get herself hurt...right, Belle?"_

 _Belle let out a sigh of defeat, "Alright, I'm sorry for getting myself hurt, Merry. Do you forgive me?"_

 _"*sniff* Y-yeah...but...only if you come with me to cover up those wounds," Merry said._

 _"But I am fine, Merry," Belle said, "I don't see a need for-"_

 _"You better listen to your sister, Belle," Nami said with a glare._

 _"Alright, alright!" Belle said as she stood up, "Let's go...Merry…"_

 _"O-okay," Merry said as she guided Belle back to their rooms._

 _"Hey! Make sure you wash up before you let Merry dress your wounds," Nami said._

 _"Yes, ma'am…" Belle groaned feeling annoyed by her mother's constant nagging._

 _Nami let out a sigh as she plopped herself onto the couch next to Luffy, "What am I going to do with those two…?"_

 _"Don't you think you're being a little too hard on Belle?" Luffy asked in concern, "Like...hard on me kind of hard."_

 _"I'm being very hard on Belle because she needs someone to educate her on the do's and don't's," Nami explained, "If I don't teach her that being reckless is a bad thing, she'll end up with your mindset."_

 _"Aw...my mind isn't that bad," Luffy said._

 _"That isn't what I am worried about…" Nami said before she let out a sigh, "Merry isn't like you or me. She's terribly indecisive in a world where your choices affect your life. I want Belle to be the sister Merry can look up to and for Merry to be the sister Belle inspires to be."_

 _Luffy placed a hand on Nami shoulder, "I'm just as worried about their future as you are, but what about now? We need to be there to teach them about life and what kind of people they need to be to live in whatever life they choose. I know Belle acting reckless and Merry being indecisive are causes for concern, but they're still children. So why not let them play the part? And besides...it isn't a role they'll have forever."_

 _"Wow...I never expected you to get all philosophical," Nami said._

 _"Philiantophical? Is that some kind of fruit?" Luffy asked._

 _Nami let out a sigh before she giggled and laid her head on Luffy's shoulder, "You never fail to make me laugh, Luffy. And no, it is not a fruit."_

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _After Belle and Merry returned to their shared room, Merry began to clean and sterilize the cuts and bruises all over Belle's arms and legs, much to Belle's displeasure of the painful stings she was taking._

 _"Ow...can you be a little more gentle, Merry?" Belle asked wincing at the pain._

 _"S-Sorry, Belle, but this is the only way to prevent you from losing blood," Merry said as she finished cleaning the wounds on Belle's arms, "Lift your legs up for a bit, please."_

 _Belle did as asked and lifted her legs, "Man...why does Mom have to get so worked up about me going to the forest? If I didn't go out there, we probably wouldn't have any meat to eat at the reunion."_

 _"B-But Belle...you would have gotten hurt," Merry said as she began cleaning the leg wounds, "And we wouldn't have known where you were. Mom and Dad looked really worried when they were scolding you."_

 _"I know that...but," Belle was about to make a point, but she stopped when she saw Merry's frown directed towards her._

 _"W-Well...how would you feel if I went and vanished on you," Merry asked as she finished cleaning the wounds and began bandaging her sister's limbs, "How would you feel if I went into the forest and got myself hurt...or even worse?"_

 _Belle stopped talking for a second after Merry asked that. The thought of Merry getting hurt with no one around to help frightened her, "I...I'm sorry, Merry. I didn't think about that...I don't want you to ever get hurt."_

 _"This is the problem with you, Belle," Merry said, "You always do things on your own without thinking about how others might feel." She explained before she finished wrapping bandages around Belle's leg wounds, "There. Just don't run around for a few days and your wounds should heal quickly."_

 _"Thanks, Merry," Belle said, "You really have the makings of a doctor. Uncle Chopper has been teaching you well."_

 _Merry giggled as she rubbed her hair in embarrassment, "I-I'm not that great. All I did was wrapped bandages around your arms and legs."_

 _"Come on, you give yourself way too little credit," Belle said, "I mean, you do want to be the world's best doctor with Uncle Chopper, don't you?"_

 _"Y-Yeah," Merry said._

 _"Did Uncle Chopper ever doubt himself when he wanted to get where he is," Belle asked as Merry shook her head, "So, if he can become the best doctor, so can you."_

 _"Wow...if there's one thing I love about you Belle, it's your love for motivating people," Merry said with a smile._

 _"Really? I never saw myself as much of a motivator," Belle said, "I just don't like it when people think little of themselves when they are so much more."_

 _"You know, you would make a great teacher or school counselor," Merry said._

 _"Ugh, please don't get me started on school…" Belle groaned, "No...I want to be something more than some crummy teacher. I want...ah I'm not sure what I want to be."_

 _"It's alright, Belle," Merry said with a smile, "There are things that just don't come to people right away. Once you find your dream, I know that dream will come true just like Dad's."_

 _"Shishi...I hope so too," Belle said._

 _"The reunion is probably going to start in a few hours," Merry said, "You better get all that dirt off of you so we can get dressed. Honestly, you smell like a monkey that got done playing in the mud."_

 _"I see you're making a habit of telling things as they are," Belle said. "Sure, I'll get this monkey stench off of me."_

 _"And be sure to wash behind the ears and shoulder blades," Merry advised._

 _"Alright! I get it!" Belle shouted getting annoyed by the constant nagging._

 _After Belle washed off the dirt on her body, the girls got themselves dressed for the reunion. While Belle's outfit was tomboyish to fit her persona, Merry's outfit had a more reserved style almost resembling a school uniform consisting of a white jacket-dress with purple lining consisting of thin double white stripes. Around her neck is a pale yellow ribbon/ascot like a piece. At her chest is a small pink marking while the pockets and buttons are purple. On her right leg is a white belt like purse object and she wears pink and white striped socks with white and purple shoes._

 _"So how do I look?" Merry asked._

 _"Wow, you look so cute~!" Belle shouted. "I think you're gonna win the trophy of Most Adorable Twin Sister!"_

 _"But...I'm your only twin sister," Merry corrected._

 _"That just means that absolutely no one is able to compete with your cuteness," Belle said as she hugged and cuddled Merry._

 _"But...it doesn't make sense logically because, in order for people to compete, they have to also be your twin sister and-"_

 _"Merry, let me have my stupid logic for at least 10 more seconds before you start sending it crashing down in a fire," Belle said._

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _Once Belle and her family were prepared for the reunion, it was only a matter of waiting for the guest. The first ones to arrive were obviously the Roronoa family, much to Merry's absolute delight._

 _"Uncle Zoro~! Auntie Robin~! Kaisetsu~! Morgana~!" Belle shouted as she ran to the family and gave each of them a big hug, "Hi~!"_

 _"Goodness, Belle," Robin said startled by how fast the girl when she hugged them._

 _"Geez Belle," Kaisetsu said trying to recover from Belle's sudden hug, "Could you at least give us a chance to wave at you and your family before you storm on us like that?!"_

 _"Sorry, but I am just absolutely excited about everything today!" Belle shouted, "Aren't you?"_

 _"Y-Yes we are, Belle, but not at the level of excitement you are at right now," Morgana said, "I know it's been four years since we've seen each other..."_

 _"Hehe, don't crack your brain trying to figure out Belle, Morgana," Zoro said, "Besides, energy like Belle's are common with her given how so like Luffy she is."_

 _"Hey, hey, did you guys miss me?! Did ya'?!" Belle asked with a wide smile as she hugged Zoro's arm._

 _Zoro lifted his arm up while Belle still held up placing her up in the air like a piece of clothing hanging on his arm, "...Maybe…" He said with a smile as he rubbed Belle's head._

 _"No fair, Belle~!" Luffy whined, "You beat me to my hugs for Zoro's family."_

 _"Shishi, gotta be faster than that, Dad," Belle said with a sheepish grin._

 _"You two…" Nami said with a sigh, "I do hope you're not going to be acting like this when the others get here."_

 _"Nami, you know better than any of us that these two are going to be running wild trying to hug everyone they see," Robin said. "I find it really cute that she missed us so much."_

 _"Um...did you miss us, Auntie Robin?" Merry asked meekly._

 _"Of course we did, Merry," Robin said with a smile, "Just ask your Uncle Zoro."_

 _"R-Robin, don't put me in that position again…" Zoro muttered but he blushed when he saw Merry staring at him with eyes that were hoping for an honest answer from him. The swordsman stood silent for a full second before he answered, "I missed you a lot...Merry."_

 _"Yaaay…" Merry cheered silently as if she was afraid of being as loud of both Belle and her father combined._

 _"What?! Uncle Zoro, when I asked the same thing you said '...Maybe…'," Belle complained doing her best grunty voice impression of Zoro, which gave everyone a good chuckle. "I'm getting the feeling that you like Merry more than me."_

 _"Th-that's not what that is, Belle," Zoro said in defense._

 _"Really," Belle asked skeptically, "Then what was it?"_

 _"I know I shouldn't be the one answering but…" A familiar voice said, "From over here it looked Mosshead got himself punked by a little girl's puppy dog face."_

 _Zoro quickly felt his rage build from just the familiarity of the voice, "And I see that you still haven't grown out of that foul mouth of yours, you dumb cook."_

 _"Aw come on, Mosshead, why wouldn't I call you by your nickname right at this moment?" Sanji asked with a smirk._

 _"Pffft, hahaha, Mosshead?! Is that Uncle Sanji's nickname for you?" Belle asked holding in more of her laughter._

 _"It is not a nickname!" Zoro shouted._

 _"Of course it is," Sanji said, "You've always called me by the nickname you gave me. What was it again? I'm pretty sure it is the same as "dumb cook" but with a little more spice on the tongue."_

 _"Sanji, you know that Zoro can't call you such things," Viola said, "Not with the kids around."_

 _"I know," Sanji said, "Even Mosshead should understand that he can't be as vulgar as he was back in the day._

 _"Just wait till we're alone and then you'll see how much more vulgar I got since those days," Zoro growled._

 _"Enough, you two," Nami shouted, "If any of my kids hear the both of you cursing at each other."_

 _"Ah, I'm sorry Nami-swan," Sanji said, "I just couldn't let the opportunity to mess with Mosshead pass me by."_

 _"Hahahaha, both of you are still making me laugh with your fighting," Luffy said, "Did you guys at some point actually fought one-on-one?"_

 _"Luffy, don't encourage it!" Nami said._

 _"A fight between Uncle Zoro and Uncle Sanji?!" Belle asked in excitement, "I would pay to see something like that!"_

 _"Please don't tell me there will be blood there…" Merry asked feeling dizzy at the thought of blood being splattered everywhere._

 _"You needn't worry about that, Merry," Robin said, "I'm sure the two men can brawl without causing damage to each other."_

 _"Well um...putting all of that aside, I believe there is someone here who would love to meet all of you," Viola said as she moved to the side to show Sakuya to everyone._

 _Sakuya let out a shy smile and waved, "Hello…" She said meekly._

 _Everyone's eyes widen in absolute shock when the first thing they laid eyes on was Sakuya's pointy ears._

 _"WOOOOOW!" Belle shouted as she rushed towards Sakuya with glittering eyes, "You have pointy ears!"_

 _Sakuya was slightly alerted by the girl's sudden burst towards her, "U-um…yes, I do. I was born with them. My name is Sakuya. It's nice to meet you."_

 _"Those ears…" Robin thought to herself finding familiarity with Sakuya's pointed ears, "Is she…?"_

 _"What a pretty name~!" Belle said getting excited as she shook Sakuya's hands firmly, "My name is Monkey D. Belle. If you wanna do some crazy stuff, just come talk to me, alright?"_

 _"Wait, what do you mean by crazy stuff?" Sakuya asked._

 _"N-no, Belle!" Merry shouted, "I won't let you drag another girl into your dangerous forest adventures!"_

 _"But Merry," Belle whined, "Just look at her. She has dangerous forest adventures written all over her!"_

 _"I agree with Merry, Belle," Nami said, "You are not allowed to go into the forest during this reunion. Do you understand?"_

 _Belle let out a sigh of defeat, "Yes, ma'am…"_

 _Sakuya was left without many words to describe what she just saw, "Uh…"_

 _"Don't worry about her, Sakuya," Kaisetsu said, "Belle is an oddball that can move and breathe. I'm Kaisetsu, it's a pleasure to meet you."_

 _"And I'm Morgana, Kai's older sister," Morgana said, "You look really cute with that outfit, Sakuya. It fits well with your ears and your hair."_

 _"Oh thank you," Sakuya said, "I like both of your dresses too and what's with your hair?"_

 _"Our mom braided them," Kaisetsu said showing her braided hair, "What do you think?"_

 _"Wow, they look so cute!" Sakuya said in amazement, "Mom, can I get my hair braided too?"_

 _"I'd love to do that for you, dear, but first your hair needs to grow a bit longer," Viola said noting how short Sakuya's hair was compared to the others._

 _"Hey, why don't we all go inside and talk some more," Luffy asked, "I don't know about you guys but I'm getting really sweaty out here."_

 _"Yeah, summer is starting at this time of the year," Zoro agreed. "The others should be here at some point of the day."_

 _As everyone proceeded to go into the Monkey D. residence, Nami notices that Robin seemed to have her mind heavily focused on something._

 _"What's wrong, Robin," Nami asked, "You look like something's troubling you."_

 _"Oh, do I," Robin asked, "Sorry, Nami, I was just thinking about something. It's nothing to worry about."_

 _"...If you say so," Nami said a little skeptically, "You better hurry up inside before you get a heat stroke."_

 _"Sure…" Robin said as she silently followed Nami into the house still having something on the back of her mind._

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _After everyone settled inside the Monkey D. residence, the children were allowed to head to the bedroom to play and talk with each other. Belle was the most excited child of the group who showed hers and Merry's bedroom to the newcomer Sakuya._

 _"Tadaaa~!" Belle chimed as she presented her room to Sakuya, "Pretty neat room, don't you think?"_

 _Sakuya looked around the room which had a bunk bed that belonged to the twins, a giant pirate poster on the wall, two bean bags-one red and the other pink, and a transponder snail that had some controllers attached to it. On the other side of the room was a little set up of tools alongside a chair-a particular set up for a doctor-in-training._

 _"Whoa, so many things in one room…" Sakuya said looking at whatever could catch her eye._

 _"I know," Merry said, "We were hoping for a round table at the center here, but Mom realized that we wouldn't have enough room to walk if we had that."_

 _"Yeah, that's a shame," Kaisetsu said looking around at the doctor area, "This stuff wasn't here the last time Morgana and I were here."_

 _"That's right," Merry said, "I'm going to become a great doctor like Uncle Chopper."_

 _"Really?" Morgana asked in shock._

 _"A doctor?" Sakuya asked._

 _"You bet," Belle vouched for her sister as she showed them her bandaged arms and legs, "See these bandages? Merry put all of them on there and I'm already feeling a 100 percent better."_

 _"Wow, look at how neat and perfect those are," Morgana said, "I've never seen wounds treated in such an organized fashion."_

 _"Uncle Chopper must not have wasted time teaching you the basics, huh?" Kaisetsu said._

 _"Nope," Merry said, "But bandaging was all I've learned from him so far. Uncle Chopper told me that I should practice more with bandaging before I move on to the advanced stuff like medicines and that kind of stuff."_

 _"Amazing," Sakuya shouted in absolute awe, "I've heard of doctors having the ability to heal, but you and Uncle Chopper seem to exceed my expectations. Please, I want to hear more about your, Merry."_

 _"A-are you sure," Merry asked, "I'm not that interesting of a person, to be quite honest."_

 _"Come on, Merry, why don't you give it a go?" Belle said, "Sakuya's very eager to learn about you so there's definitely interesting stuff about you."_

 _"But before that," Kaisetsu said, "There's something that has been bothering me."_

 _"What is it?" Sakuya asked._

 _"It's about those ears of yours," Kaisetsu said looking at Sakuya's pointy ears._

 _"What about them?" Sakuya asked._

 _"Well...how did you get them?" Kaisetsu said, "I've never met any kid with those kinds of ears."_

 _"Um...well I was born with them," Sakuya said, "That's what my dad told me!"_

 _"But that's impossible," Merry said, "Sure there are certain traits that are given to the kid from the parents, but neither Uncle Sanji nor Auntie Viola has pointy ears."_

 _"I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for that, right Sakuya," Morgana asked._

 _"Y-Yeah," Sakuya said as she looked into the mirror at her ears wondering if she got them from her parents, "Maybe I should ask my dad about it."_

 _"Don't worry about it, Sakuya," Belle said as she plopped herself onto the red bean bag, "They're probably having one of their "adult" meetings that never allow kids for some dum-dum reason, so why don't we take the time to play some games or talk more?"_

 _"Well...what kind of games do you play," Sakuya asked._

 _Belle smiled, "I'm glad you asked. Come here and let me show you." She said as she patted the pink bean bag next to her._

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _"WHAAT?!" Belle shouted in complete, utter shock as Sakuya single-handedly beat her at her own game, "No way! I had my defenses set up perfectly for your assault! You shouldn't have even destroyed the first line, Sakuya!"_

 _"Was that what I did," Sakuya asked in confusion, "I honestly had no idea what I was doing and just mashed buttons."_

 _"Wow...what a way to lose to a newbie, Belle," Kaisetsu said_

 _"Hush, Kai," Belle said, "I don't see you beating me at this game. It was beginners luck for Sakuya since I decided not to upgrade my Elf Archers with overpowered arrows just for the sake of letting her have fun. So let's see how well you fare against an army of sniping Silverthorn arrows, Sakuya-the greatest strategist according to Kaisetsu."_

 _"I appreciate your invite to another go at this, but I don't think games are my thing," Sakuya said, "So I'm afraid I'm gonna have to decline."_

 _"Darn it...I got beat by a newbie who only used a one-unit army," Belle said, "Now I'll never live it down!"_

 _"Don't worry, Belle, you still have your other thousand wins," Merry reassured, "Plus you went easy on her, so it was to be expected."_

 _"Sakuya, I am a bit concerned though," Morgana said._

 _"Concerned?" Sakuya asked in slight confusion, "About what?"_

 _"Well...during your match with Belle, you seemed to have had something on your mind," Morgana said._

 _"I do," Sakuya said sadly, "Ever since Kaisetsu pointed my ears out, I couldn't help but wonder if there's something that I don't know something that my parents are hiding from me."_

 _"Whoa, whoa, we're getting a little ahead of ourselves," Kaisetsu said, "Sure your ears are a little different from the rest of our's, but that doesn't automatically mean something akin to that of parents lying to their own kids."_

 _"Besides, what reason do your parents have to lie to you?" Belle asked, "What even is there to lie about? You have to think about questions like these before making assumptions."_

 _"Says the person who acts before she actually thinks," Kaisetsu said unimpressed with Belle's words._

 _"Hey, at least I'm making a fair point here," Belle said feeling a bit annoyed._

 _"Despite that point being full of irony," Merry asked rhetorically._

 _"I've had enough," Sakuya declared as she stood up, "I am going to clear all of this up and ask my parents about my ears. Once they clear things up, we can finally drop this pointless conversation about ears."_

 _"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Morgana asked, "The truth can sometimes hurt you more than heal you. That's what my mother alway tells us."_

 _"I'll be fine," Sakuya said as she made her way to the door, "It's just a simple "Ask Daddy a question to answer" thing, so this will be real quick." She said before the left the room._

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _As Sakuya made her way downstairs to the living room, where she thinks her parents were at with the other parents, she began to hear the sounds of their distinct voices. Knowing that they were down there, the little girl eagerly made her way halfway to the stairs until…_

 _"Sanji, about Sakuya…"_

 _Sakuya heard Robin's voice saying those words, which made her stop in her tracks. The girl stood there wondering if she did something to upset Robin, for the woman said those words in a troubled tone._

 _"Yes," Sanji asked, "What about Sakuya?"_

 _"I hope I'm not the only person here who notices that your daughter has pointy ears," Robin said._

 _"Nope, it's clear as day," Sanji said._

 _"Sanji, we're not going to have this conversation here, are we?" Viola asked._

 _"What's the problem with having pointy ears, Robin," Luffy asked, "We've seen a lot of crazy stuff so pointy ears shouldn't be something to be worried about."_

 _"It is something to be worried about because they belong to a girl who is the child of two humans," Robin said._

 _"Wait, you don't mean…" Nami said._

 _Sanji breathed out a puff of smoke from his cigar before he said, "You guessed it. Sakuya...she isn't my daughter-not by blood to be precise. Viola and I adopted her 7 years ago."_

 _At that moment, Sakuya just froze in place after hearing that she wasn't related to her parents. When she heard that she was actually adopted, her heart stopped beating for a second as if it was pieced by several sharp objects._

 _"Does Sakuya know about this?" Robin asked._

 _"No, or at least I hope not," Sanji said._

 _"What the hell? The girl is around 7 years old and you still haven't told her?" Zoro asked getting a bit pissed at Sanji._

 _"Yes, I didn't tell her and it's for a damn good reason," Sanji said, "You got a problem with that?"_

 _"Depends on what that reason is," Zoro said, "And it better not be a bullshit one."_

 _"Stop right now, you two," Nami said, "If things get too loud, the kids will hear us from their rooms."_

 _"Please understand, everyone, it wasn't like Sanji wanted to keep the truth away from Sakuya in the first place," Viola explained._

 _"You guys don't understand how hard it is to tell a kid that they're not your real child," Sanji said, "Especially if that kid treated you like a father and looked up for the short, 7 years she spent with you. I tried to tell her truth twice, but right when I was about to tell her, something inside of me just screamed not to. I felt like the moment I told her the truth, the Sakuya I know and love would end up vanishing right in front of me. I don't know why this kept happening, but it did."_

 _"A part of you doesn't want Sakuya to know the truth," Robin said, "It's likely that part of you is the part that remembers your experience with your family."_

 _"What does Sanji's family have to do with this?" Luffy asked._

 _"My father and brothers detested me as a kid," Sanji said, "To them, I was a failure and an accident that was never supposed to happen. So, the very first chance he got, my father let me leave when I wanted without a care in the world. I was basically tossed away like trash."_

 _"Sanji…" Nami said._

 _"Speaking of being thrown away like trash, guess where I found Sakuya's uncovered baby body?" Sanji asked as he got increasingly angry when he remembered that day. "Washed up on the beach inside of a basket."_

 _Sakuya covered her mouth and tried to fight back the tears that started to form in her eyes. Now her heart was being torn to pieces with each revelation that left her father's lips._

 _"That's too cruel," Nami said, "She was sent out to sea alone? How could anyone do that to such a child? What did Sakuya do to deserve that kind of treatment."_

 _"You see now," Sanji asked, "How can I tell my daughter that her parents left her to die at sea? Can you imagine what kind of pain she would be in?"_

 _"I may not be an expert about something like this, but I think you should tell Sakuya the truth anyway," Luffy said._

 _"What," Sanji asked completely shocked that Luffy, of all people, would say that to him._

 _"I know that the thought of Sakuya feeling hurt by the truth frightens you, but what if she finds out the truth all on her own?" Luffy asked, "She could hate you both for keeping this from her all this time."_

 _"Luffy's right," Zoro said, "Even though the truth is painful, Sakuya has the right to know. As a father, we're supposed to show our kids that the world isn't as happy as they want it to be. We can't have them be living in a world of denial because we were afraid of telling the truth."_

 _"..." Sanji had no words to give to them except for silence. In his heart, he knew they were right, but he still believes that he needs to protect Sakuya from the truth._

 _"We won't force you to tell her the truth, Sanji," Robin said, "But it is your responsibility as her adoptive father to do so. Besides, sirens are dangerous when angry."_

 _"Sirens?" Viola asked._

 _"Sanji, Viola, has Sakuya shown signs that she is able to sing?" Robin asked._

 _"Why, yes," Viola said, "But Sanji and I aren't the best singing teachers, so Sakuya basically taught herself."_

 _"And she drinks an unusually high amount of water," Sanji said._

 _"Then I'm afraid that Sakuya is actually a siren," Robin said._

 _Sakuya stood in utter disbelief, wondering if everything was just a lie that they were decided to tell each other, but she then remembered Merry explaining to her about how she had pointy ears yet her parents did not and her whole world starts to shatter to pieces as tears fell down her cheeks._

 _"I'm sorry, but what exactly is a siren?" Nami asked._

 _"Based on what I read about them through the history books that dated back to the old century, Sirens were dangerous yet beautiful creatures of the Grandline who lured humans with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their islands," Robin said, "Afterwards, they put them under a deep sleep and then proceed to eat the humans."_

 _Silence fell upon the crew before Luffy said, "I'm sorry...what?"_

 _"You're kidding…" Sanji said in absolute disbelief. "They eat humans when they're alive?"_

 _"Yes, unfortunately," Robin said, "Back then, humans were a delicacy to the siren race and were made into game for them to hunt; however, for some reason, the sirens just vanished from the world one day. Never heard from again."_

 _"Are you saying, that my baby Sakuya could eat someone else if she wants to," Viola asked getting frightened by the thought of her daughter being that kind of monster._

 _"No, that's not what I'm saying," Robin said, "All I'm saying is that sirens were a dangerous race long ago. Why they vanished so suddenly is a mystery, but now Sakuya is the first ever siren to return to the world of human beings."_

 _"Wow...that's a lot to take in," Luffy said._

 _"So what are you going to do now, eyebrows," Zoro asked Sanji._

 _"What? Not only do you expect me to tell my daughter why she has no real parents, but now I have to tell her that she's part of a monstrous race called the sirens who eats humans too?!" Sanji asked angrily._

 _The moment she heard the word monstrous, Sakuya couldn't hold it in any longer. The poor girl let out sobs of pure sadness and hurt that could be heard throughout the room._

 _Recognizing the sounds of the sobs, Sanji stood up and looked towards the stairway where Sakuya was._

 _"Sakuya, what are you doing out of Belle's room," Sanji asked hoping that Sakuya didn't hear anything and just waltzed in at the last second._

 _Sakuya didn't have enough breath to say anything for she was using it up on the sobbing she was doing._

 _"What? Was she there the whole time? Why didn't I sense her?" Zoro thought shocked by how the girl was there the whole time._

 _"Luffy, why didn't you warn us that Sakuya was there," Nami whispered to Luffy._

 _"...I...I don't know," Luffy whispered back absolutely shocked, "My Observation Haki should have picked up on her...but she somehow managed to slip past it."_

 _"...What's the matter?" Sanji asked hoping to whatever god he could think of that Sakuya didn't hear the conversation, "Why are you crying?"_

 _"Sakuya...you didn't...hear everything, did you," Viola asked._

 _"*sob* I-is it true," Sakuya asked in her sobbing, "Am I...a monster? Did my parents...really leave me to die…?"_

 _"Sakuya...no that isn't-" Nami was cut off._

 _"Are you...really not my Mama and Papa?!" Sakuya shouted. Saying that out loud hurt her a lot more than when she said it in her head._

 _Sanji let out a sigh of defeat before he confessed, "No, we are not your real parents. You are adopted, as we just said."_

 _Hearing that from the person she saw as a father broke Sakuya's heart even further. All the girl could do now was sob endlessly as she covered her face with her hands trying to wipe the tears away._

 _"Sakuya, you may not be Sanji and Viola's real daughter, but that doesn't mean everything else said here was entirely true," Robin said, "The person who cast you out at sea might not have been your parents. You were probably taken from them or worse."_

 _"Yes, and you're definitely not a monster who would hurt other people," Viola said, "That stuff Robin said was years ago. The sirens might have changed their ways after they disappeared."_

 _"*sob* Th-then why lie to me?!" Sakuya asked getting a little angry at them, "If what you say *sob* doesn't apply to me, then why keep it a secret?! Why lie to me about who I am and what I am?! Why...*sob* why not tell me about what my real parents did to me?"_

 _"Sakuya, please don't get mad at them," Sanji said, "Be mad at me. I'm the one who decided not to tell you anything on two occasions. I didn't want you to spend your whole life feeling like you were abandoned like me. No child deserves to live their life like that, especially one as precious as you. More than anything in the world, I want you to be safe from anything that could hurt you."_

 _"...No….you expect me to believe you after you lied to me for 7 years?!" Sakuya asked as she suddenly went from crying to exploding with rage._

 _"Sakuya, I-"_

 _"QUIET!" Sakuya screamed as water started to flow around her body, some of which were coming from the nearby sink in the kitchen. "I trusted you with my life...and now...you not only hide the fact that I'm not your daughter, but also that the people who would be my parents eat humans- the fact that I could have been one of them!"_

 _"Sakuya, please calm down," Nami shouted, "You'll drown us all in water if you keep this up!"_

 _"It's no use," Robin said, "Sirens are said to never listen to anything but their own words and the words of the people they are angry at. That part of history still applies in this era, it seems."_

 _Sakuya glared angrily at Sanji as the water continues to spin rapidly around her body, "Say something!"_

 _Sanji stood silently before he said, "What can I say that will calm you down? I'm the reason you're hurting like this, but it would have been worse if I told you the truth. All I can do now is take all of your anger alone."_

 _Sakuya then stopped her rage fit allowing the water to splatter the ground. That was when footsteps were heard from above and Belle and the others arrived from the stairs._

 _"What was all that noise?!" Belle asked._

 _"Is everything alright in there?" Kaisetsu asked._

 _"We're fine, guys," Luffy said, "You can go back to your room."_

 _"But...we heard Sakuya screaming," Merry said._

 _"Yeah, it made us jump up like frightened cats," Morgana said._

 _"Look, right now we're talking about something, so you all need to go back to Belle's room, now," Zoro said._

 _"...I hate you…" Sakuya suddenly said._

 _Everyone gasped as they looked at Sakuya who still stared angrily towards Sanji._

 _"Sakuya…" Sanji said feeling as if something struck him in the chest, "You don't mean that."_

 _"I do," Sakuya said without hesitation._

 _"I did it to keep you safe," Sanji said, "What father wouldn't do that?"_

 _"I don't care about what a regular father would or wouldn't do," Sakuya said with a broken voice, "I care about what the father in front of me, at this very moment, would or wouldn't do, but it seems even you don't know." She said before she head for the front door._

 _"Sakuya, where are you going?" Viola asked._

 _Sakuya stopped before she said, "Out to find my real parents, maybe I can trust them to tell me the truth." She said before she closed the door and left the house._

 _"Sakuya!" Belle shouted as she tried to rush off after her._

 _"Let her go, Belle," Luffy said._

 _"Dad, what are you talking about," Belle asked, "We have to go after her!"_

 _"Sakuya is too hurt right now to have someone talk to her," Nami said, "If you try and talk to her, she'll only get angrier. Besides, this is something Sanji has to solve on his own."_

 _"So...what do you plan to do now, cook?" Zoro asked._

 _"..." Sanji didn't say anything as he only breathed out a puff of smoke._

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _Meanwhile, Sakuya was marching away from the Monkey D. residence with tears still streaming from her eyes. The tears blocked a bit of her vision so she had now idea that someone was in front of her when she ran into them._

 _"Ow!" Sakuya shouted as she bumped into someone._

 _"Darn it, could you watch where you're going?" A boy's voice asked._

 _"Nelson, that's so rude of you," Another boy's voice said, "A girl gets knocked to the ground and that's what you say?"_

 _Sakuya looked up and saw a hand was extended to her by a blond-haired boy with black eyes and an unusually long nose. Without a word, Sakuya took the hand and was brought back up to her feet, "Th-thanks…"_

 _"No problem," the boy said, "I'm Xavier and this is my older brother, Nelson."_

 _Sakuya looked over at the black haired boy named Nelson, who was rubbing his head wincing at the pain. "Yeah, sorry about that," He said, "I wasn't really looking at where I was going either."_

 _"I-it's fine…" Sakuya said._

 _"Are you okay," Xavier asked, "You looked like you just got done crying."_

 _When Sakuya remembers what had happened a few minutes ago, she shook her head and said, "N-nothing…" She said before she started to run as far away as she could._

 _"What was that all about?" Xavier said confused by how the girl was acting._

 _"I dunno...you think we should wait for Dad?" Nelson asked._

 _"In this heat, nope," Xavier said, "Besides, its common male decency to give girls their space when they give a little indication that they're sad. Plus if she's one of the five girls we get to meet, oh boy I'm getting hot and it's not because of the weather."_

 _"You're such a weirdo, Xavier," Nelson said as he facepalmed._

 _As the two boys made their way to the door of the Monkey D. residence, they suddenly stopped when they heard a shout from inside._

 _"Answer me, damn it!" Zoro shouted as he grabbed Sanji by the shirt pulling his face close to his own, "What is your plan?!"_

 _"Will you get your hands off me?" Sanji said as he forced Zoro's hand off his shirt._

 _"Sanji, aren't you going to go after her," Luffy asked seriously, "Who knows what kind of trouble she'll get into on her own."_

 _"But then what should I do when I find her," Sanji asked._

 _"'What should I do'" Zoro repeated Sanji's words finding so many things wrong with them, "I don't know, eyebrows, maybe apologize to her?!"_

 _"You say that like it's an easy thing to do, mosshead, but it isn't," Sanji said, "Sakuya told me that she hated me not too long ago. How do you even apologize to someone after they say something like that to you?"_

 _"Sanji…" Nami said._

 _Outside, Nelson and Xavier listened to the conversation._

 _"Wow...we haven't been here for long, but this is some pretty deep stuff," Xavier said._

 _"What about the girl?" Nelson said, "You think we should maybe check to see if she's okay?"_

 _"Hmm...well I did say that we should give her space, but given this situation, I think she is in dire need of some support," Xavier said before he grinned._

 _Immediately knowing what was on Xavier's mind, Nelson wasted no time volunteering, "Oh no you don't! You're going to stay here while I go talk to the girl."_

 _"But Nelson~!" Xavier whined._

 _"The last thing that girl needs is you asking her for a stupid hug from you," Nelson said, "Wait here, and hopefully I'll bring her back. If not then you can come looking for a hug!" He said before he rushed off after Sakuya._

 _Xavier just sighed before he let out a cheeky grin, "You may think you've beaten me to the punch, Nelson, but you should know that Xavier never gives up."_

 _"Sanji, I'm really worried about Sakuya," Viola said, "Even though she said those things to you, she is still our responsibility...and blood or no blood she is still our daughter."_

 _"I'll go look for her," Sanji said, "She shouldn't have gone too far. I started this problem and I'm going to solve it on my own."_

 _"Well, what's your plan, cook," Zoro asked._

 _"I'm going to find Sakuya and make sure she hasn't gotten herself hurt," Sanji said, "The rest, I'll figure out on my own." He said before he left._

 _"You were oddly harsh on him, Zoro," Robin pointed out. "I expected that pushy behavior from Nami, but you?"_

 _"He was being a shit father right there and then," Zoro said, "Of course I wasn't going to just sit there and let him ruin the happiness he brought to that kid."_

 _"Shishi, remind me not to piss Zoro off," Luffy said, "I hope things go well with both of them."_

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _Sakuya let out a deep sigh as she walked to wherever she could. She wasn't familiar with the island and had no idea where to go to reach civilization. Right now she was on a barren path that seemed to lead somewhere which is what Sakuya needed at the moment, "Maybe...I shouldn't have said that to….to Dad-I mean, Sanji...I know that he kept the truth from me to keep me safe," She said before she realized that the path that she thought was a path actually leads to the sea, where she didn't want to go, "Oh no...now I've gone and lost my way."_

 _In the shadows of a nearby three three men were watching the tiny siren look around as if she were loss. "Ey' boss...that kid over there...does she look valuable to you?" one of the guys dressed in a full body black robe asked._

 _The man in the middle who was the apparent boss of the little group wore a malice grin as he stared at the siren girl. "Boys, she isn't valuable. She's priceless! Just look at those ears. This ain't no normal human girl, I'll tell ya' that. She could be a whole new race that we have discovered. Imagine the load we'll get once we sell her to the black market!" he said licking his lips in anticipation at the money he was about to make._

 _"Sweet Mother of Pearl we hit the jackpot, huh Lorin, sir?" the other bandit cheered watching his blond haired boss stand up._

 _"Indeed we did boys, but allow me to do the talking," The boss, whose name was Lorin, said, "She needs to see a friendly face and not you two bozos dressed up like creeps who just got out of prison," Lorin said slicking his blond hair back as he walked over to the lost girl._

 _"Hello there, little girl," Lorin said kneeling in front of Sakuya putting on a fake caring face with a practiced gentle voice. "Why are you doing out here all alone?"_

 _"Oh, um...hello, sir," Sakuya said immediately feeling something wrong with the man, "I'm fine I just...I just need time alone."_

 _"I understand," Lorin said, "We all have our bad moments and we all need some time to ourselves. So if there is a problem, maybe I can help you out."_

 _"Well...I just got in a fight with my dad and I just found out that I was adopted by him and my mother," Sakuya said._

 _"Ouch," Lorin said, "That's a kind of pain that doesn't go away easily. Finding out that the family you love is suddenly not your real family just leaves the whole world you grew up in and loved in pieces."_

 _"Is that what I'm feeling right now?" Sakuya asked placing a hand on her chest. "I said something very mean to my father...the way he looked at me when I told him how much I hated him tore me up inside."_

 _"You poor thing…" Lorin said lying through his teeth as if he actually cared, "Don't beat yourself over it. We all have our own little rebel inside of us when we grow up to a certain age. It shows parents that they can't always have control over their children's lives."_

 _"Really? You think so," Sakuya asked._

 _"I know so," Lorin said, "So how about I take you back to town and buy something for you to put a smile back on that cute face."_

 _"Um…" Sakuya looked down at the ground, "I'm sorry, sir, but my Mom told me not to be around strangers for too long."_

 _"Oh, how foolish of me," Lorin said as he facepalmed, "I should have known better than to act like a stranger to a little girl. I am deeply sorry, but I cannot just leave a girl lost and alone. At the very least let me guide you back to civilizations. This island is teeming with dangerous predators like boars and tigers."_

 _"..." Sakuya thought about it for a while. Though she still can't shake off the ominous feeling in her gut, she nodded and said, "Sure. Thanks a lot, mister."_

 _"Please, call me Lorin," Lorin said with a comforting smile, but in this dark mind, he thought, "I can't believe that actually worked on this child! This will be the easiest money I've ever made in my life!"_

 _And so, Sakuya allowed Lorin to lead her back to the village where she could cool down after her fight with her father. The ominous feeling in her gut still wouldn't leave her alone, but the girl decided to ignore it and trust the stranger with guiding her that far at the very least. However, the two found themselves standing on the edge of a cliff._

 _"Wait, did we take a wrong turn?" Sakuya asked when suddenly the uneasy feeling in her gut returned._

 _The timing was perfect because the moment the siren got that feeling, Lorin let out a sinister laugh. "Heheheh…" Lorin tilted his head back letting out a cruel and mocking laugh turning his gleaming malice eyes on the girl making her shake nervously._

 _"L-Lorin, sir?" Sakuya asked still shaking apprehensively._

 _"You stupid girl," Lorin said with an evil smile, "At first, I thought you were going to be a tricky one to catch, but you really disappointed me."_

 _"Huh? What do you mean?" Sakuya asked. "I'm a catch?"_

 _"That's right. In fact, you, my dear, are my latest prize to trade away to the black market!" Lorin said._

 _"W-What?!" Sakuya asked in shock, "You lied to me! Wh…Why would you lie to me?"_

 _"For the money of course!" Lorin said signaling his men to come in from behind Sakuya, "You're a gold mine to us, girlie, and the boys and I plan to cash you in."_

 _"Yeah, consider yourself lucky the boss was nice 'nough to you to begin with." One of Lorin's men said._

 _"Remind me of that shit again and I'll cut your tongue off," Lorin threatened before he let out a wad of spit, "Gah, I feel like cutting my own damn tongue out for all the sweet talk I had to say to get you to follow me here. I'm glad you were naive enough to believe me after a few 'words of inspiration'. I bet that's why you might be the only one of whatever species you are, huh?" Lorin taunted as he tugged on Sakuya's ears._

 _Sakuya slapped the man's hand away and glared at him, "I won't forgive you for your lies. You are the second person who had the nerve to lie right at my face. I am not some prize to be owned, nor am I the last of my species! Now, will you please leave me alone? If you don't, you'll live to regret it. "_

 _Lorin merely laughed at Sakuya before he said, "Oooh, the little girl thinks she's tough," He said sarcastically, "I can see your own legs wobbling like jello, brat, and we can easily call your bluff." He said as he took out a dagger and his men took out swords._

 _As the men start to make their way towards her, Sakuya's heart rate increased rapidly due to fear, "S-Stay away! I won't warn you again! Get back!"_

 _"And let close to billions of beri's get away?" Lorin asked, "I think not. Now you are going to come with us quietly, or else we'll have to get rough with you and believe me when I say: Damages make a habit of hurting the price of black market sales."_

 _Just when all hope was lost for Sakuya, something small came falling from the sky and landed right in front of the siren. It was a small, brown ball. Before anyone could ask what it was, the ball suddenly exploded into a huge smoke._

 _"*cough* *cough* What the hell?!" Lorin coughed out in surprise._

 _Sakuya's sight was now limited due to the smoke bomb, but she could hear the sounds of fighting amidst the smoke. But then something grabbed her and suddenly she found herself far away from the smoke in the arms of Nelson._

 _"It's...you," Sakuya said._

 _"Are you okay?" Nelson asked as Sakuya nodded, "It's a good thing I got here in time."_

 _"I believe you mean 'we' Nelson," Xavier said as he jumped down from the tree with a light blue staff-like slingshot in his hand. "You're lucky that I shot Dad's special smoke bomb; otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to make your stealthy approach."_

 _Nelson let out an annoyed sigh, "You'd do just about anything for a girl. Why did I even bother telling you to stay put?"_

 _"Aw don't be like that," Xavier said, "I'd do that for just about anyone. I just do it in a more heroic fashion for the girls."_

 _"U-Um...thank you for saving me, both of you," Sakuya said._

 _"Please, don't mention it, buttercup," Xavier said, "Perhaps after we get you back home, we can go out for some tea."_

 _"Her father would kick your own teeth in just for calling her that overused nickname of yours," Nelson said._

 _"Damn you…" Lorin growled as he rubbed his face, which had a shoe mark indicating that he was kicked in that spot. The smoke had cleared and both of his men were knocked out. "One brat after another!"_

 _"You and your friends need to learn some manners," Xavier said, "Harassing an innocent girl is not something a gentleman would do."_

 _"Shut up, you little brat," Lorin shouted, "That girl is my golden ticket to fame in the black market and I'm willing to add the organs of two boys to my load."_

 _Nelson stood in front of Sakuya in a protective stance, "People like you piss me off. Planning to sell a girl off for money. If you really want her, you'll have to pry her from my dead hands."_

 _"Trust me, kid, that's exactly what I'm going to do," Lorin said as he approached the kids with his dagger in hand._

 _"Shouldn't we run? He's got a dangerous knife in his hand," Sakuya said._

 _"Don't worry, sweet lass, Nelson and I aren't your average boys," Xavier said, "We're the children of the one and only God Usopp."_

 _"God Usopp?" Sakuya asked wondering who that could be._

 _"G-God Usopp," Lorin asked as his face was filled with horror, "The God Usopp? He's here and you two are his kids?!"_

 _"They are. Not that it matters anyway because I'm the one you should really be afraid of," A voice said from behind Lorin._

 _"D-Dad!" Sakuya shouted._

 _"Dad?" Lorin asked as he turned around. When he did, he was only met with the face of the devil himself surrounded by fire as hot as his anger._

 _"Sell my daughter to the black market, you say? How about I sell your soul to Satan...FOR LAYING YOUR FILTHY HANDS ON HER?!" Sanji shouted viciously. With one swift kick, he instantly sent Lorin flying like a high-speed bullet through the forest hitting several trees._

 _"Whoa...Uncle Sanji is so cool~!" Xavier said as if he was a girl meeting her favorite pop star._

 _"Way to kill the mood with that stupid line," Nelson said._

 _"Sakuya," Sanji said as he rushed to Sakuya and checked her for any wounds, "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"_

 _"I'm fine, Dad, thanks to these two," Sakuya said smiling at Nelson and Xavier._

 _"That's true," Nelson said, "Your daughter is safe and unharmed."_

 _"Thank you, both of you," Sanji said, "Usopp really knew what he was doing when teaching you both how to fight."_

 _"Yes! Uncle Sanji is praising us and Dad," Xavier said with a cheeky smile, "This day can't get any better."_

 _"Guess he doesn't want to mention the fact that he called Sakuya "buttercup" to Sanji," Nelson thought, "Smartest thing he's done all day."_

 _"Um...Dad…" Sakuya said as she looked at the ground in shame when she remembered what she said to him, "About what I said to you...I'm sorry…"_

 _"You don't need to apologize, Sakuya," Sanji said removing his cigarette before looking into her eyes, "I'm used to people hating me. My father, my brothers, and some of the people on I met on my journey years ago still hate me to this day. Sometimes, love from people has to be earned by you alone, so I hope that you don't hate me forever, Sakuya. I really messed up as your father by keeping everything I knew about you a secret and I'm so sorry for doing that to you, but as I said before it was to protect you from feeling like no one loved you to leave you in that state. People can say what they want about your ears, hair, eyes, and anything about you, but none of that will change my mind on one fact: You are my daughter and my precious treasure."_

 _"I'm not hurt by what you kept from me, Dad," Sakuya said, "I'm hurt by the fact that you didn't trust me to handle this secret about me well. Sure, I might be a bit stung by the fact that my real parents probably never loved me, but that is all replaced by the love you and Viola gave me. I want to call you both my real Mom and Dad not the people who cast me away and I want us to be a real, happy family. So no more secrets, please?"_

 _Sanji gave her a smile of relief as he gave Sakuya a loving hug, "Yes, no more secrets. I promise."_

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _"SAKUYA!" When Sanji, Sakuya, Nelson, and Xavier returned to the Monkey D. residence, Viola was the very first to run to her daughter and give her a tight hug._

 _"M-Mom…I…" Sakuya wanted to find a way to apologize for snapping at her, but she got cut off._

 _"Don't say another word…" Viola said in tears, "I was so worried about you ever since you got angry at us and even more so when you left us. We are so sorry for what we did to you. I was just as afraid to tell you as your father was...so I…"_

 _"It's okay now, Mom," Sakuya said, "I've calmed down now and I understand what you and Dad were trying to do. I know I didn't take the news well, but that was only because you both kept it from me for so long. Please, I hope we don't keep any more secrets like that from each other."_

 _"We won't," Viola said with a smile. "I promise."_

 _And with the conflict settled, Sakuya happily led Xavier and Nelson to the room where the other girls were anxiously waiting for her return._

 _"Sakuya! You're back!" Belle shouted as she hugged Sakuya tightly._

 _"Man, could you not scare us like that?" Kaisetsu asked, "You went and left without saying anything to us, your friends."_

 _"My friends?" Sakuya asked._

 _"Y-Yes," Merry said, "We hung out together and played together. So sure we are friends."_

 _"I didn't realize that I made you all worry," Sakuya said, "I'm sorry…."_

 _"Oh there's no need to feel too bad," Morgana said, "You father is Black Leg Sanji. Of course you back all safe and sound."_

 _"Funny hearing that from you because you paced around in worry more than I did," Belle said._

 _"I did not! You were imagining things," Morgana said._

 _"Did not!" Belle shouted._

 _"Did too!" Merry shouted back._

 _"Aw...a happy girl, a shy girl, two lovely girls, and Sakuya," Xavier said while blushing, "This day just got even better."_

 _Nelson just shook his head, "Don't cry to me when they all reject you."_

 _"Anyways, I'd like to introduce you to Nelson and Xavier," Sakuya said, "They're the ones who saved me from bandits who attacked me."_

 _"Salutations, my lovely birds," Xavier said._

 _"Oh god you're one of those boys and your Usopp's son," Kaisetsu said._

 _"I'm sorry, but did I end up striking a nerve?" Xavier said._

 _"All the nerves," Kaisetsu said, "I hate boys who try to fancy girls as the greatest treasure in the world. They think they can be all perfect just to impress a girl."_

 _"...You are the first person to ever say that about him in better words than mine," Nelson said, "You have my respect."_

 _"And what about you, Nelson?" Belle asked, "What kind of person are you?"_

 _"Me?" Nelson asked._

 _"Yeah, you must be really strong if you were able to take out those three bandits and carry me away like that," Sakuya said blushing a bit again._

 _"I'm sorry...I'm not really a...people person," Nelson said._

 _"You're shy?" Merry asked._

 _"N-No…" Nelson said, "I'm just...reserved."_

 _"Nah, you are definitely shy," Merry said giggling as she walked closer to him, "It's written all over your face. Look you're blushing right now."_

 _"P-please...stay back," Nelson said, "I don't act like myself when people get close."_

 _"That's funny because I saw you and Xavier being close to each other," Morgana said starting to figure it out._

 _"That's...because...well you know…" Nelson said._

 _"I know! You are shy around girls!" Belle shouted._

 _"A shy, cute boy?" Kaisetsu asked, "Now you have my attention."_

 _"That's odd because he was able to carry me to safety easily," Sakuya said still blushing. "He was...like a hero," She said as if she had fallen in love._

 _"Ooooh, that must mean he likes girls too," Morgana said._

 _"But unlike Xavier, Nelson here actually does something an honest man would do other than shower us with empty compliments," Kaisetsu said with her words shooting through Xavier like an arrow._

 _"Okay...um..I'm going to go back downstairs now, so...um...have fun, Xavier," Nelson said as he bolted from the room as quickly as possible, "Agh...why'd you do that, Nelson? You had 5 girls in there all over you and you run away like a coward…no wonder people think I'm like Dad."_

 _"Ugh, I can't leave that boy alone…" Xavier said, "Forgive me, sweet girls, but I'm afraid I must go after my...conflicted brother. So until next time." He said before he went after Nelson._

 _Sakuya couldn't help but giggle at how shy Nelson turned out to be. At first, she thought Nelson was one of those boys who looked and acted tough, but his real personality for some reason makes Sakuya warm inside._

 _"Sakuya? Earth to Sakuya~!" Belle shouted._

 _"Huh?" Sakuya asked._

 _"Are you okay? You were lost in some kind of daze or something," Merry said._

 _"Oh, I'm okay. Thanks for your concern though," Sakuya said._

 _"Alright, why don't we enjoy the rest of our time together until everyone from our parents' crew gets here," Belle said, "I brought snacks~!"_

 _And so, the girls spent the majority of the day playing and talking with each other. Sometimes Belle and Morgana will crack out jokes about what their doting fathers would do for them, which gave Sakuya the best laughing time she ever had while Merry would sometimes use her knowledge as a doctor-in-training to educate Sakuya about some types of wounds and how to treat them, and Kaisetsu made sure that things didn't go out of control._

 _It wasn't long until the Straw Hat Pirates finally reunited after they've spent some time apart._

 _Luffy didn't want the crew to be separated from each other, but ever since he found love with Nami just as Zoro and Sanji did with Robin and Viola, he knew things were going to change. They couldn't risk bringing their children into an ocean as dangerous as the Grandline. Despite this, Luffy was at least grateful that everyone could still contact each other for any kind of help and one day hopes that the crew he created and loved can sail on the sea together again._

 _After some time during the reunion party, it was now time for Sakuya's performance, which she had been practicing with her mother. Everyone was excited for it, especially Sakuya herself. This would mark the very first singing and dancing performance she has given to a live audience._

 _Sakuya stood on an open wooden stage and prepared herself. "Okay, Sakuya...Time to bring your A-game."_

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Now your friends have abandoned you, Sakuya," the demonic Daimon said to the siren in the sewers, "What will you do now?! Continue preaching on about how parents would never do the same?!"

"In case you missed our conversation, they didn't abandon me," Sakuya explained, "They're helping another one of my friends to safety, but this isn't about them. This is about you and me."

"You and me?" Daimon asked.

"...Yes," Sakuya said, "You and I are not that far apart. I too was abandoned by my parents….my real parents, that is. Until Sanji and Viola found me and raised me as their child just as you probably were too. So...I understand your hatred towards parents. I still hate my real ones and, at one point, hated my foster parents for keeping the truth from me. Despite what they did to me, I still want to find my real parents to learn whether or not if they really loved me. Even if the truth hurts, that is the reason why I joined Belle's crew, for that chance."

Daimon became increasingly angry as Sakuya continued to talk and yelled, "SHUT UP! THAT'S NOT THE SAME! YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND MY PAIN!"

"No...I won't understand your painfully," Sakuya admitted, "But I understand enough to save you from the darkness that binds you...all with a song I dedicated to my parents both real and...well just as real, even if we're not a biological family."

"Sing whatever terrible song you wish," Daimon growled, "It won't save you from my power! I want to show every adult in the world...WHAT BEING AFRAID REALLY FEELS LIKE! NO SONG CAN SAVE ANYONE FROM FEAR!"

"This song can, because it is said in siren tradition to be the song that can cure any emotional discontent including fear," Sakuya said as water began to surround her.

 _ **Lost in Thoughts All Alone (AmaLee version)**_

 _ **You are an ocean of waves, weaving a dream,**_

 _ **Like thoughts become a river stream**_

 _ **Yet may the tide ever change, flowing like time**_

 _ **To the path, yours to climb**_

 _ **Thou seek the light with an outstretched hand**_

 _ **A divine blade lies before you,**_

 _ **So command the wake of dreams**_

 _ **To restore the world, cut 'way the seams**_

 _ **Join in our prayer, in our song of birthrights and love**_

 _ **Come the sun, illuminate the sky**_

 _ **Pray that we may quell the dark - Light take the throne**_

 _ **Lost in thoughts all alone**_

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _As Sakuya sang this song beautifully while mesmerizing everyone with her elegant dancing, Robin noticed something within the lyrics. "These lyrics…" She thought, "Could it be that Sakuya is singing the ancient siren song, 'Lost in Thoughts'?"_

 _Viola, who had a front row seat with Sanji was already in tears with how Sakuya's hard work was paying off with her wonderful performance. Deep down she was fighting herself to not scream like a fangirl and break Sakuya's focus._

 _ **You are an ocean of waves, weaving a dream,**_

 _ **Like thoughts become a river stream**_

 _ **Yet may the tide ever change, flowing like time**_

 _ **To the path, yours to claim**_

 _ **Thou seek the dark with an unsheathed blade**_

 _ **Now a white, ivory throne beckons,**_

 _ **So obtain the fate you sow**_

 _ **On this path, be weary, friend and foe**_

 _The water that Sakuya summoned began to dance around her. Small droplets that fell from the water acted as bright glitters that matched with her dancing turning the performance into one that would make one be so focused on her alone that they might not notice what their own body might end up doing._

" _Wow...Sakuya is just...amazing~!" Belle whispered to Merry._

" _So beautiful," Merry said, "She could be famous worldwide with a voice as lovely as hers."_

 _ **Join in the tale, in the blight, of conquest and lies**_

 _ **Come the sun, to tarnish in the sky**_

 _ **Vow that we shall tear the light – Dark seize the throne**_

 _ **Lost in thoughts, all alone**_

 _ **May thy chosen path lead way and grace you with virtue**_

 _ **But surely a balance awaits, so be it bliss or pain you gain**_

 _ **Beyond the route-way's end, you'll gain resilience and weakness**_

 _ **The trials, the thorn in your side, becomes the greatest strength in you**_

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Hearing this song suddenly made Daimon feel weak all over his body, "Wh-What? What is...happening…? My...my body...I can't...move!" He growled angrily, "D-Damn you...d-demon...why...do I...suddenly feel...at...peace…" He asked as he got onto his knees.

 _ **Descend into the abyss thou see**_

 _ **Where the hearts of many wander**_

 _ **Quietly, they wish and weave**_

 _ **Placing hope inside their one, pure dream**_

Sakuya placed her hands around Daimon's hands and touched foreheads with him and then lowered her voice as if singing a lullaby. As she did this, a light started to engulf Daimon's body.

 _ **After the storm stills its wake, may all be blessed**_

 _ **So the fate and fallen can find rest**_

 _ **Your will, the water reflects, so all will know**_

 _ **Your hands brought the morrow**_

 _ **You are an ocean of waves, weaving a dream,**_

 _ **Like thoughts become a river stream**_

 _ **Yet may the tide ever change, flowing like time**_

 _ **To the path, yours to climb**_

 _ **You are an ocean of waves**_

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _Once the song and the dance were finished with a lovely pose and voice, everyone gave Sakuya the loudest clapping and applause they possibly could. Viola and Sanji were actually in tears from watching their child's lovely performance and Sakuya, too, has her fair share of tears from being able to perform the way she did in front of people._

 _As she gave a bow, she said these words that stuck with her forever, "Thank you so much everyone, and thank you especially, Mom, Dad. You both are the reason I worked hard for this performance and I will sing it for the rest of my life because I know that both of your will be in this song and dance watching over me! I love you, Mom, Dad!" She said with a big smile all over her face._

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Once the song was finished, Daimon's demonic arm had completely vanished and the boy sat on his knees panting heavily.

"...Why am I...suddenly not afraid anymore…?" Daimon asked in confusion, "I've been afraid my whole life, but now...it's all gone…"

Sakuya, who was severely worn out from singing the song as a means of exorcising Daimon's demonic arm, slowly but surely hugged the boy tightly, "Enough. Please stop this madness. You're a little boy. I know you hate being called that but it's the truth because nothing this cruel should be placed upon you tiny shoulders." She said holding him close to her chest.

"Let me go, you Demon..." Daimon said calmly. He wanted to yell at her and try a last ditch attempt to kill her, but his body refuses to let him use any kind of violence.

"I won't ever let you go," Sakuya said, "... and I won't let you walk down this dark path any longer. You're just a small, little boy looking for a place to belong to- A place he can feel safe and loved. There's nothing wrong with that." Sakuya said rubbing circles on his back.

"...How do you know...Do you even know even a little thing about me?" Daimon asked angrily. "How do you even know what sort of pain I'm going through?!"

"It's your eyes," Sakuya answered as she pulled him back to stare into purple tear-filled eyes. "Your eyes tell me that you're hurting from so much pain and you don't see a way out of the dark place you're in...I know this world is cruel, I know life is even crueler, but know that there is still a light inside you. Please, Daimon, don't shut it out."

"J-Just shut up…you say you can just see it in my eyes?! Give me a break!" Daimon shouted, "My father drowned in a river in order to catch a fish to feed me and my Mom! After that, my mother started to drink herself to near death and always beat me when I couldn't do the things she told me to do like wash the dishes when I wasn't even tall enough to reach them! And then...and then...I...I let her get killed out of spite and…*sob* and..." Daimon didn't want to remember the last horrible thing he did to her as he began to shed tears again.

"You poor baby," Sakuya said as she hugged him tightly again, "...No child should ever go through that. You've seen hell in the face of the woman you are supposed to trust no matter what and I'm sorry she let you down...I'm sorry this world has let you down."

"Y-You are…?" Daimon asked surprised that someone in this world felt sorry for him. Not even Erica felt sorry for him.

"I know asking you to believe in me is impossible and scary for you, but please believe me when I tell you I'm not going to let you live this way anymore," Sakuya said, "I'm going to find you a real home- A home filled with love, with a caring father and a wonderful mother who will protect you and love you."

"...Why…?" Daimon asked he buried his face into the Siren's chest, "...Why would you go so far for me…?"

Sakuya picked the boy up and kept a tight grip on him. "I'm not entirely sure about this, but I too was abandoned by the woman I was supposed to trust. Not only her but my father too. I was told as a child that they left me to die as a baby. I wouldn't have been entirely angry about this if my foster parents didn't keep it a secret, and so...I got angry and ended up telling my dad how much I hated him and left. It wasn't until long that I ran into trouble and was about to be sold off like a prize, but my Dad saved me and showed me how much he really loved me."

"Your Dad saved you too," Daimon asked, "So did mine...my dad took on a huge bear just to save me."

"Wow, really? Your dad was awesome, Daimon," Sakuya said, "See? Even if we kids run into problems with our parents, those problems will eventually die away with time and we go right back to loving them. I won't say anything redeeming about your mother, but your father would probably have loved you and protected you from your mother if he was able to do the same against a bear."

It was at that moment that Daimon started sobbing again, "I'm so sorry, Dad...I ended up hating and killing adults just because of Mom...but you still love me, don't you."

"It's okay, little one," Sakuya tells him pecking his head softly as she began to carry him through the dark sewers, "You realize your mistakes and hopefully are going to correct them. That way, your Dad can smile at you again in heaven. I just know that he is saying how proud he is of you and how much he loves you. Now, it's time to find the love that you have been denied for so long, my handsome little prince-to-be." She said to him with a heart-warming smile.

"...Will...will someone really want me?" Daimon asked in a soft voice.

"Honey, I will not rest until I find the family that you deserve!" Sakuya declared, "Until then, smile and try to be happy. You have no more reason to kill anyone now, right?"

"...Y-Yeah…" Daimon whispered to himself.

"Good boy, I know life was hard for you, but I promise I'm going to try and make everything better for you. So for now, get some rest it's been a long day for you," Sakuya said as she ran her hand through his dirty and shaggy orange hair.

"What are you going to do…?" Daimon asked sleepily rubbing his eyes.

"I'm going to take you to my friends," Sakuya said, "Don't worry, once I've explained everything, they won't lay a hand on you. Then we're going to get that arm of yours all fixed up." She said as she looked back at Daimon only to find him fast asleep in her arms which made the Siren smile, "That's my good little prince. Sleep well." She said as she gave him a soft peck on the forehead.

* * *

 _ **Jurabi: ...I love this chapter...but FUCK THIS CHAPTER! Oh, my God, this chapter was an absolute pain in my ass to write! I sometimes get stuck on so many parts and sometimes, I didn't know what the fuck I was doing. Somehow I managed to finish. I don't know why but I did. Ugh...I wish I can do better but...I get so involved with other stuff and everything.**_

 _ **Anyways, I'm sure many of you notice the contradiction this chapter brought. I know that in previous chapters, Belle and Kaisetsu just met Sakuya on Fusha Island, but that's what I'll be changing in a bit of a rework of previous chapters. They met during the reunion.**_

 _ **And to all of ya'll who want to go "You took the lyrics from AmaLee's song? Isn't that basically plagiarism?" In the reviews. Here's something for you:**_

 _ **-✦WANT TO USE THESE LYRICS OR MP3?✦**_

 _ **As long as it's for non-profit use, go right ahead! Just please give credit and link back to this video!- AmaLee**_

 _ **Not profit use: Check**_

 _ **Credit: Check**_

 _ **Link: Just highlight the song along with the word AmaLee, Google it, and bam the first thing you see is the cover. It's not that hard.**_

 _ **Aside from being a patronizing a-hole, one thing I must make clear to all of you: Sakuya is best girl and best waifu and Merry is my child. Fight me on the street if you disagree or wanna talk smack about them.**_

 _ **Anyways, I'm very glad you took the time and patience to wait for my lazy ass to get this done. If you want to share your thoughts, write up a great review. And if you haven't already, hit that favorite and follow button for both the story and myself! And until next time, I'll see you in chapter 12!**_


	12. A Life of Illusion

**Jurabi: Heeeelloooo~! This is Espada4Jurabi here bringing you another chapter of One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates. Alright, so I've finished clearing up the contradictions from the last chapter by reworking a bit on the first 10 chapters. ...Huh...I'm getting a sense of deja vu for some reason...Anyways, here are the things that have been changed because I am not reuploading this story.**

 **1\. Belle does not wear a hat anymore. I decided to do this because in the future events in this story, Belle having Merry's hat would be a contradiction.**

 **2\. Yoshino's design has been slightly changed. Instead of having big black eyes, he now has light brown eyes.**

 **3\. Yoshino's last name has been changed from Ghoul to Hoshida**

 **4\. Fixed the inconsistencies in Momo's speech. Now he only says his own name in 1st person and says he, she, they, it.**

 **5\. The introduction of Shinki type Devil Fruits have been postponed for the time being.**

 **6\. Fixed the contradiction in Belle and Sakuya's meeting. Belle, Kaisetsu, and Sakuya are childhood friends and recognize each other in chapters 3 and 4.**

 **7\. Sakuya's last name is changed from Vinsmoke to Reevus.**

 **8\. Fixed a story glitch (a moment when the author completely forgets what he did with a character) with Belle in chapter 4**

 **9\. Changed Yoshino's backstory a bit. Now he explains that his mother was killed by a pirate captain.**

 **10\. Added Jimbei's birthday present to Belle in chp. 6**

* * *

 **Previously on One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates…**

 _ **"Wow, you look so cute~!" Belle shouted. "I think you're gonna win the trophy of Most Adorable Twin Sister!"**_

 _ **"But...I'm your only twin sister," Merry corrected.**_

 _ **"That just means that absolutely no one is able to compete with your cuteness," Belle said as she hugged and cuddled Merry.**_

 _ **"But...it doesn't make sense logically because, in order for people to compete, they have to also be your twin sister and-"**_

 _ **"Merry, let me have my stupid logic for at least 10 more seconds before you start sending it crashing down in a fire," Belle said.**_

 **And now...back to Oda-senpai's greatness.**

* * *

 **A Life of Illusion**

In an alleyway that was close to the sewer entrance, Ackmor was lying down next to the wall panting heavily as he held his beating head.

"Acky, are you okay," Belle asked Ackmor.

"Ngh, my head...still hurts," Ackmor explained.

"Here, I brought water with me in case we needed some," Belle said as she handed Ackmor a water bottle.

"Thanks," Ackmor said as he began drinking the water.

"Hey," Hana called while she was on the look-out for any of the elephants or the kids, "Can you still move? We can't stay here all day."

"I don't know…" Ackmor said, "Every time I try to stand up, my head starts hurting. What was with that kid back there? He looked like some kind of monster."

"Do you think it has something to do with his Devil Fruit," Belle asked.

"That's impossible," Hana said, "There's no Devil Fruit in existence that turns you into something like that. Whatever it was, it's some kind of power foreign to us- a complete unknown."

"But if it's unknown to us, why does it seem familiar to me," Ackmor asked.

"Who knows," Hana said before she thought, _"I need to get my Den Den Mushi back and tell Mom about this."_

"Acky, about what you said before," Belle said as she remembered Ackmor's words when he was in pain.

"What I said before?" Ackmor asked a bit confused before he realized, "You mean when I wondered if I hurt someone."

"Yeah, I can't help but feel a little worried for you," Belle said, "I can't imagine your past being about you hurting someone."

"I don't know what that was, Belle," Ackmor said, "It could be my past or just some weird thing my mind decided to play on me. I still want to learn more about my past...even if it's filled with pain."

"Acky…" Belle said.

"Anyways, I will try not to be a burden to you all," Ackmor said as he stood up, "Now let's hurry up and find Erica."

"Right," Hana said before she took out a worn-out blue sword, "It's a good thing I found this in the abandoned smithery. It's not my best sword but better than nothing."

"You sure you're going to be okay with that," Belle asked.

"Of course, I am a trained swordswoman," Hana said with an optimistic smile before she began walking, "Now hurry up. We don't have all day."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile back at the hideout, Yoshino had been growing increasingly worried after Kaisetsu felt something dark. Ever since the swordswoman didn't say another word which didn't give off a good vibe for anyone.

"Are you friends really going to be alright?" Kaji asked.

"That's what I'm wondering too," Yoshino said through Momo before turning to Kaisetsu, "Kaisetsu, did you feel something?"

"...Yes I did," Kaisetsu said, "But now, the energy is gone."

" **What?!"** Momo asked, **"You leave us in the dark this long and now you tell us when there's nothing to worry about?!"**

"Remember what Kaji said, bear?" Kaisetsu asked, "One bad thing said here could cause a riot. I couldn't risk that."

"Still, you could have given us a small sign that something bad was up," Carl said.

"It's fine with me," Kaji said, "Thank you for being considerate to the people here, Kaisetsu. However, I'm just as worried about your friends who just went out."

"It was Belle's decision to set out in a small group," Kaisetsu said, "Probably to make sure everyone wasn't caught up in whatever that was."

"She knew this was going to happen?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Not...exactly," Kaisetsu said, "Belle told me as we were going through the sewers together that she was feeling something off with this island."

" **Define...off,"** Momo said.

"There is some kind of dark power lurking on this island, Kaji," Kaisetsu said, "I don't know what, but I have a feeling that it is here to stay. I suggest you evacuate the island."

Kaji's eyes widened in complete shock as he stood up, "Evacuate the island?! Are you serious?!"

"I am," Kaisetsu said.

"Whoa, Kaisetsu," Carl said, "I know that this island is being attacked by an army of elephants lead by kids wanting to kill everyone, but aren't we here to deal with that? What more could possibly warrant an evacuation?"

"And asking us to just leave our businesses and jobs is like asking us to leave our own lives," Kaji said.

"I'm very sorry, Kaji, but this is a problem we can't exactly solve," Kaisetsu said, "Not until we figure out the truth to this attack."

"That is true...there is much that we don't know about such as the kids' motives behind everything and how they were able to do this," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Alright...I'll think about it, Kaisetsu," Kaji said, "Being a leader means you have to consider the positives and negatives to every decision you make, so I'll need some time before I can do something about this."

"Time is what you are limited with, Kaji," Kaisetsu said, "So make the most of it."

"Mr. Kaji," a man shouted as he came running into the office.

"What is it?" Kaji asked.

"There's a girl carrying an injured kid at the front gate," the man said.

"A kid?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Tell the men to hold their fire until I get there," Kaji said as the man nodded and ran back to the gates.

When the group arrived at the gates, they saw Sakuya carrying an injured, sleeping Daimon surrounded by people holding guns at them.

"WEAPONS DOWN EVERYONE!" Kaji shouted, "WEAPONS DOWN!"

"Sakuya," Yoshino shouted through Momo, "What are you doing back here?"

"Yoshino-kun…" Sakuya said while panting, "This boy...needs help...I don't have the means to...treat his wounds…" She said before she suddenly collapsed.

"Sakuya," Yoshino shouted through Momo as he quickly caught the siren and the boy.

" **She must have gone through a tough battle with him or something,"** Momo said.

"Get the medical team out here, now!" Kaji shouted at the messenger.

"Yes, sir," the messenger said as he rushed off to the medical tent.

"Mr. Kaji, what about the boy?" one of the men asked pointing at Daimon, who was in Yoshino's arms.

"I say we should kill him," another one of the men suggested.

"Yeah, he was one of the brats who killed innocents and put us in this mess," another one of the men said.

"Wait, I don't think Sakuya would have brought him here if that was the case," Kaisetsu said getting in everyone's way, "She wants you to help him, after all. Something must have happened when she fought him."

"...For the time being, we should place him in custody," Kaji said.

"But, Mr. Kaji…" One of the men said in shock.

"That's an order," Kaji said, "We will discuss what to do with him later."

When the paramedics arrived and placed both Sakuya and Daimon on the carts and wheeled them off to the medical tent.

"Well those people didn't seem too happy to see that kid," Carl said.

" **Not surprising really,"** Momo said, **"He's part of the reason that they're in this mess."**

"But...why would Sakuya bring him here and ask for help with his wounds if that was the case," Yoshino asked through Momo, "Maybe these kids aren't who we think they are, as I said."

"We can't be entirely sure about that, Yoshino," Kaisetsu said as she began walking away, "But it is a possibility."

"Where are you going?" Kaji asked.

"I'm going to find Belle and the others," Kaisetsu said, "Thanks to Miss Lovey Dovey, they're one person short. Besides...I have a feeling that someone else is coming to this island."

"Someone else?" Carl asked.

"Watch over while I'm gone, okay," Kaisetsu asked.

"Kaisetsu…," Yoshino whispered through Momo.

" **She'll be alright,"** Momo said, **"Given what we've seen from her so far, Kaisetsu can handle anything."**

" _...Can she really though,"_ Yoshino thought.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Ice Dragon's Fang," Belle shouted in her dragon-hybrid form as she hit the mind control device on one elephant's head knocking the animal out. "Whew, that should be the last of them."

"I hope so," Ackmor said as he just got finished taking down another elephant, "Getting on top of these elephants isn't easy."

"That's because you have no experience in climbing tall things," Hana said as she looked at the front gates of Towa Tower, "Alright, let's get what we came for and get out quickly. Erica will likely call all the other elephants here the moment she realizes we're here."

Before any of them could move, Ackmor felt a sudden surge of electricity, "Wait…don't touch the gates."

"What's the matter, Acky?" Belle asked as Hana stopped to look at the android.

Ackmor strangely picks up a nearby rock and threw it at the gates. When the rock connected, a bolt of lightning shocked the rock-destroying it.

"I knew it," Ackmor said.

"Was that lightning shooting out of the gate?" Hana asked.

"Lightning?" Belle asked, "But there's not a cloud in the sky."

"Whatever it is, it's definitely some kind of defense mechanism," Ackmor said as he looked to the left, "We'll need to- Hana, to your left!" He suddenly shouted.

Hana quickly turned around and was met with a sudden lightning slash that she barely avoided. "The hell?!"

"Alright, show yourselves," Belle demanded, "If you want to fight, do it out in the open!"

"Demanding us to fight in the open and expose ourselves," a voice asked, "Typical adults...I don't know why you all exist for this long with that attitude."

Following the sound of the voices, Belle turned to the left, "Ice Bomb!" She shouted as she threw an ice-made bomb into the direction of two figures in front of her, but the two figures jumped away from the attack.

"Um….was that a baseball that passed by us…?" Another voice said.

"No, Jotaro, try to pay more attention will you." The other voice said.

"Okay, bookworm dude, with freaking lightning bolt for fingers," the other voice said as it revealed itself as a masked boy.

"Hey, I am not a bookworm!" The other voice said following the masked boy out revealing to be a blue haired boy.

"Who are you two?!" Ackmor asked getting into a fighting stance.

"Wait, I know them…" Hana said recognizing the two kids.

"Excuse me. Allow me to introduce ourselves I'm Ch-" the blue haired boy was unfortunately cut off by the masked boy

"That's Cheren! And I'm Jotaro! Cheren over here used to be a nob-" Jotaro started to say.

Cheren stopped him by bonking him on the head, "Shut up Jotaro! Why do you always have to talk about everything!"

"I dunno….I just keep on rambling for a long period of time." Jotaro said as he nursed his head, "Like a bear that sleeps for a very long time...Oh and also like fish can keep swimming."

Belle and Ackmor stared at the masked boy with confused looks, "Is he alright?" Ackmor asked.

"Yeah, he talks like he was dropped on his head as a baby." Belle said.

"No, I dropped myself on my head, baby lumpkin," Jotaro tells her.

"Did that mask freak just call me a baby lumpkin?!" Belle asked angrily.

"Yea, I did," Jotaro taunted, "What you gonna do about it, Miss Baby Lumpkin Diva?"

"Oh that's it! Lemme at him!" Belle screamed trying to run over and beat Jotaro to a bloody pulp, but Ackmor was holding her back.

"Belle, calm down," Ackmor said, "I don't understand what's so offensive about that name."

"Acky...that brat called me a skanky girl, someone who will have sex with anyone especially for drugs!" Belle shouted.

"What?!" Ackmor asked in shock, "How does a kid like him know that term?!"

"You two...you're the kids who were with Erica," Hana said.

"It's been awhile, demon," Cheren said, "I see that you've gotten yourself some escorts."

"But that doesn't mean a thing," Jotaro said before chuckling evilly, "We're still gonna kill you for badmouthing Erica."

"I don't have time to play with you sick kids," Hana said, "But you are going to answer for you crimes on this island."

"Crimes," Cheren asked, "What we did here is just the beginning of the good for all kids. We're going to create a peaceful paradise for kids of all kinds free from the burdens placed upon them by inconsiderate parents."

"And then we're going to eat ice cream!" Jotaro randomly shouted. "Strawberry is my favorite!"

"Jotaro, don't ruin my cool moment…" Cheren growled.

"That's so stupid," Belle said, "Don't you realize you'll be an adult too?"

"Tch, I'd sooner hang myself than become an adult," Cheren said, "If I am going to grow up to be the same age as those demons, screw that!"

"That's the same thing Daimon said…." Ackmor said, "I feel really bad for you kids, do you know that?"

"Spare your pity," Cheren said, "We made our decision to never become adults just as we made our choice to kill you."

"Cheren~! I really like the boy," Jotaro said, "That's the first time someone's ever said that to us!"

"Don't let him fool you, Jotaro," Cheren said, "Demons like him love to spew that crap at our faces expecting us to be dumb enough to fall for it."

"Still...I really like him," Jotaro said, "Can I keep him as a pet?"

Cheren let out a sigh of defeat, "Fine...but only if you feed him yourself."

"Yay…!" Jotaro cheered, "I'm gonna get a demon pet~!"

"You kids….you're all messed up in the head!" Belle shouted, "You're basically talking about keeping a living human being as a pet like it's nothing!"

"Are we really? Or are the filthy adults of this world to blame for what we have become?" Cheren asked. "Do you even have the slightest clue about what happened to Daimon and what he endured? What each one of us have endured!"

Jotaro was starting to get scared. He hated when Cheren yelled so he whimpered and covered his ears as he curled up into the fetal position and began to ramble to himself. "Sky is blue, grass is green. Blood is red and clouds are white..." he rambled on.

Cheren, hearing Jotaro rambling about the colors, calmed down before crouching beside him. "Jotaro I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. Remember they're not here to hurt us anymore."

"Th-they're not?" Jotaro asked.

"Yes there not here anymore. I killed them so we could be free remember?" Cheren tells him. "We'll never have to go back there and listen to their rules ever again" he reassured.

The group looked at the two kids with fear-filled confusion, "Who...who did you kill?" Ackmor asked.

"Our parents. Being the children of nobles turned out to be more hell than I could ever imagine" Cheren said turning back to Yoshino.

"What?" Hana asked in shock, "I've heard of two noble children disappearing after the death of their parents….are these two them?"

"Noble? What's a noble?" Belle asked, "None of what you two are saying makes any sense!"

"Of course, how careless of me to think that an about-to-be like you would understand." Cheren said, "You probably had a simple, normal life. The kind of life we all wish we had."

Belle silently growled and glared at the ten year old. "My life has been far from normal, you little punk! Don't make me come over there and punch your teeth in!"

"Belle, can you try not to be so vulgar to them?" Ackmor asked.

"What's the big deal, Acky," Belle asked, "They're being just as vulgar, if not more so. I swear their language is as ugly as their attitudes."

Cheren's eyes widen in complete shock, "She did not just say that…"

Jotaro's eyes also widen as he heard a certain word, "U-ugly…?"

"I know, Belle, but...we don't really know much about them." Ackmor said before he turned to the kids, "Can you guys explain to us how you could kill your own parents! Is it because they didn't love you?"

"SHUT UP! STOP TALKING YOU'RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO SPEAK! YOU'RE STUPID YOU'RE WORTHLESS! YOU'RE UGLY! I HATE YOU! I WANTED A BETTER SON! WHY DID I GET YOU!" Jotaro screamed as he tugged on his mask.

"Oh good God no…" Cheren whispered in full worry mode, "I haven't seen him like this since…"

"The hell's happening to him?" Belle asked.

"Did I say something wrong?" Ackmor asked.

"Jotaro! Calm down!" Cheren said, "Listen to me! They're dead! They won't say those mean things to you again! No one will!"

"STOP! YOU'RE LYING! YOU'RE ALWAYS A STUPID UGLY LIAR JOTARO! WHY CAN'T YOU BE LIKE YOU'RE BIG BROTHER! WHY DID HE DIE AND NOT YOU! GO SLEEP IN THE YARD LIKE THE FILTHY DOG YOU ARE! YOU'RE AN ENTIRE DISGRACE TO THE CRESILA DRAGONS!" Jotaro continued to scream while he tugged on his mask thus causing the strings to tear.

Cheren eyes widen and made a quick grab at his hands. "JOJO! It's okay! Big brother is here so please calm down. I'm right here JoJo. Big brother isn't dead," he said soothingly patting Jotaro's back gently.

"..." Jotaro grew quiet as he slowly took off his mask, "Cheren...am I...ugly...like they always said I was?"

The trio gasped as they gazed beneath the boy's mask to see he was missing an eye while the entire left side of his face was completely covered in scar tissue that reached beneath the boy's shirt.

"Oh my god…" Belle whispered as she covered her mouth in horror.

"What the hell happened to him..." Ackmor asked as he felt conflicted on what he should be feeling at the moment.

"Hell. Absolute hell," Hana though as she studied the two boys.

Cheren was holding Jotaro petting his hair down. "You're not ugly. Far from it little brother. Those monsters never knew what they were talking about."

"...Y-Yeah...th-they weren't…" Jotaro whispered.

"Look, you two, I know this is asking too much, but maybe it's a good idea to just drop everything and leave." Ackmor said, "You're just like Daimon and get worked up whenever someone says a word that upsets you. We don't want you to get hurt by your trauma."

"Shut up, demon!" Cheren shouted angrily. "You hurt Jotaro and then had the nerve to spout that nonsense in the same breath! I'm going to take great pleasure slitting your throat!"

"Cheren...I want to kill him…" Jotaro whispered as he stood up.

"Jotaro?" Cheren asked.

"...He…" Jotaro said as he sent Ackmor a menacing glare, "He made me remember them...now I want to make him suffer like I did."

"Me?!" Ackmor asked.

"Oh hell no," Belle shouted as she stood in front of Ackmor, "If you're going to touch Acky, you'll have to get through me."

"Back off, girl," Cheren said as he reached for his sword and then took out a glowing yellow stone, "If my brother wants to kill your friend, he's going to kill him if it's the last thing he does! Lightning Strike!" He shouted as he sent a lightning slash towards Belle.

"Acky! Move!" Belle shouted as she sprouted her dragon wings, "Wing Shield!" On instinct, Belle used her wings as a shield since Cheren's attack was too fast for her to dodge. However, the attack was too strong and broke her defenses and sent her flying into a building.

"Belle!" Ackmor shouted in worry for his friend.

"So strong," Hana said as she took out the sword the brought.

"I wouldn't be so worried for her if I were you," Jotaro said as he was suddenly in front of Ackmor.

"What?" Ackmor asked shocked by how fast the boy was.

"Descend into the world of illusion," Jotaro said as he grabbed onto Ackmor's head.

"No!" Hana shouted as she tried to strike Jotaro before he could do anything, but her sword strike was blocked by Cheren.

"Don't get in his way," Cheren said as he used his lightning to knock Hana back.

"Grr…" Hana growled as she slid back. When she looked back up, both Ackmor and Jotaro were on their knees unmoving, "What happened to them?"

"I'm sure you recognize this, demon," Cheren said, "That is Jotaro's Illusion Illusion Fruit. With just one touch, he can transport himself and one other person into his world of illusion. Jotaro is an expert at breaking the minds of those who tick him off."

"Damn you!" Belle shouted as she shot out from the building to hit Cheren with a kick, but Cheren blocked the attack and jumped back from the second kick, "Give Acky back!"

"There's nothing I can do," Cheren said, "Only Jotaro can release himself and his victims from his illusions. Even if you try and attack him, nothing will happen. So you might as well say goodbye to your friend."

"Fat chance," Belle shouted, "Acky's going to beat up that stupid mask kid easily!"

Cheren growled in anger, "You'll die slowly for calling Jotaro that!"

However, before Cheren could attack Belle, Hana dashed forward and tried to hit him with a thrust attack, but Cheren managed to dodge it.

"Hana," Belle said.

"Belle, get Ackmor somewhere safe," Hana said, "I'll deal with this smart alek brat."

"Are you sure? With those cuffs still on you?" Belle asked looking at Hana's cuffs.

"I'll be fine," Hana said, "Well apart from the lightning, but I should be able to get around that. The last of those kids is still out there so be careful."

"Got it," Belle said as she picked Ackmor's unconscious body, "Wow...you're really heavy, Acky!" She groaned as she made her way out of the fight with Ackmor.

"Damn…" Cheren growled as he watched the two escape, "Well no matter. As long as Jotaro kills him in his mind, his entire body will follow suite. In the meantime," Cheren said as he turned to Hana, "You and I have unsettled business, demon."

"Don't get so full of yourself just because I'm cuffed up like a criminal," Hana said as she took a fighting stance with her sword, "My mother has taught me to handle situations like this extremely well."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Wh-where am I…?" Ackmor asked as he opened his eyes to find himself on some kind of beach. As he looked around, there wasn't a single person in sight, "Belle? Hana? Anyone?!"

"It's no use," Jotaro said as he appeared behind him.

"Jotaro," Ackmor said, "What did you do to me?"

"Kukuku, you're in my world now and you're not going back to your friends until I kill you...slowly," Jotaro said as he smiled gleefully. "Besides, I think you should be more worried about what I'm about to do to you."

"Listen, I don't really want to fight you anymore," Ackmor said, "I know you're like Daimon and went through something horrible."

"What do you care?" Jotaro asked, "You're just a dumb about-to-be who's gonna die. All you should care about is how long you can last."

"Don't think you can kill me easily," Ackmor said, "I'll find a way out of this mess eventually."

"Quite a bold claim," Jotaro said, "Let's see how well you can handle the world of illusions." He said before he suddenly vanished.

"Hey!" Ackmor shouted, but Jotaro was already gone. The android sighed as he looked around at the beach, "So...this is the world of illusions...There's gotta be a way out of here." That was when Ackmor saw a door standing right in the middle of the sandy beach, "Huh? A door?"

With curiosity, the andriod opened the door; however, when he did he suddenly found himself in a dark forest, "What? How did I get here? Where am I?" Before he could take the time to figure out what just happened, Ackmor had laid eyes on a familiar orange haired figure, "Belle?"

The figured turned around revealing to be Belle, "Ackmor."

"Belle!" Ackmor shouted as he ran to Belle, although something felt off to him. "Don't tell me that kid got you too."

"I'm afraid he did," Belle said.

"Well...I'm glad to see you," Ackmor said, "Do you have any idea where we even are?"

"You don't know?" Belle asked, "You're in Jotaro's illusion."

Ackmor suddenly got a bad feeling after hearing Belle say that, but didn't want to say anything, "I know that, but...where are we in the illusion? Some kind of forest?"

"There is no name for the places in Jotaro's illusions," Belle said, "These places simply are and nothing more."

"I see," Ackmor said, "Well, surely there has to be a way out of here."

"Yes there is," Belle said as she slowly walked towards Ackmor, "However, it will be in a body bag...Ackmor."

"Hmph, I was wondering why you didn't call me by your annoying nickname," Ackmor said before he dodged Belle's punch from behind, "Who are you?!"

Belle let out an evil giggle as she transformed to her dragon-hybrid form, "What do you mean, Ackmor? It's me, Belle."

"No you're not," Ackmor said as he took up a fighting stance, "The Belle I know wouldn't attack me out-of-the-blue, let alone attack me from behind. I should have figured illusions like you would pop up here."

"Come on, Ackmor," Belle said with an evil smile, "There's no need to fear. You're in the realm of possibilities. Stay with me, please. We can have fun forever here."

"Shut up!" Ackmor shouted, "I'm going to go back to the real world and the real Belle, so don't get in my way."

"Ice Bomb!" Belle shouted as she threw an ice bomb at Ackmor.

"Hey, little do you know that I have fire powers now," Ackmor said as he tried to activate his fire, but nothing came out, "What?!" He asked in shock before he got sent flying by the ice bomb. Ackmor quickly got back up, but was left wondering why his fire didn't activate, "What the hell? Why didn't I bring fire out of my arms?"

"Don't you see, Ackmor," Belle asked from the top of a tree above Ackmor, "There's no way out and no way you'll survive, so why not just give up and let me make this easy for you?"

"You know, the more you talk the more unreal you become, Belle," Ackmor said.

"Well then, android, how's this for unreal?" A familiar voice asked.

Ackmor looked to his left where the voice came from. Not soon after, he had to barely dodge an arrow to his face. "Yoshino, Momo…"

"I can't believe you useless idiots missed such an easy shot," Belle growled at Yoshino and Momo.

"Tch, shut up," Yoshino said through Momo.

" **Yeah, shut that dumb mouth of yours,"** Momo said before he chuckled, "Upupupu, looks like we found an android that needs dismantling."

"Not you guys too," Ackmor said.

"Yes us too, Ackmor," Yoshino said, but this time he didn't need Momo to talk, "You know, I've always wondered what hunting a pile of junk like you would be like. Why don't we find out?"

"Get the hell out of my way, you shits," Belle shouted venomously before she flew down towards Ackmor, "He's mine! Ice Dragon Claw!" She shouted as she tried to slash Ackmor.

Ackmor managed to dodge, but was met with Yoshino shooting another arrow at him.

"Say goodnight~," Yoshino said with an evil smirk.

Ackmor slightly moved out of the way of the arrow to narely avoid it, but it managed to graze his right leg leaving a painful mark. _"I can't fight them here,"_ He thought as the second he landed on his two feet, he bolted out of there as fast as he possibly could.

"You're not getting away that easily! Ice Bomb!" Belle shouted as she threw several more ice bombs at Ackmor while Yoshino shot more arrows at him as well.

Ackmor easily out ran the constant barrage of attacks as he ran out of the forest and into a city, _"I have to find a way out of here before Kaisetsu and Sakuya join in on this crazy fest! But where is the way out?!"_

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile outside of Ackmor's illusionary world, Belle managed to find an open building to hide in with Ackmor.

"We should be safe here…" She said as she placed Ackmor carefully against a wall, "Acky, Acky wake up!" Belle shouted trying to wake Ackmor up, but to no avail. "Damn it...that stupid kid doing a coward mood by hurting Acky in his mind. I wish I can help you, Acky." She said as she noticed that Ackmor's right leg was bleeding, "Oh no! How are you bleeding, Acky?! Hold on, I'll try to find something to cover it." She said before she searched around as fast as she could to find some form of cloth.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Cheren was still fighting against Hana while watching over Jotaro's sleeping body. So far, only he has been granted the advantage do to his lightning sword attacks leaving Hana with little room to maneuver and attack. He let out a sigh before he said, _"I know Jotaro wants to have fun, but he still could have killed him right there and then."_ Cheren thought, _"In this state, he's extremely vulnerable."_

Hana was struggling to stand up from the last lightning attack that she got hit by, "What kind...of sword is embedded with lightning?"

"Still alive, are we," Cheren asked as he walked over to Hana blade in hand, "Don't worry, though. I'll fix that real quick. Lightning Strike!" he shouted as he sent a lightning slash towards Hana, however a figure managed to get in the way and deflect the attack. "What?" Cheren asked in shock as he watched his attack fly in the air and dissipate.

"My goodness…" A female voice said, "I leave Belle and you guys to handle a simple task of getting the damn cuffs off and this is what I find?"

"Kaisetsu," Hana said.

"Hn, I never expected that there would be more of you about-to-be's. Just how many of you are there?" Cheren asked.

"About-to-be's? What are those?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Teens who are about to turn into Demons, obviously." Cheren explained.

"If you're going off that logic then there's just the Captain. I'm 19 so I've already passed the adult mark and Belle just turned 20," Kaisetsu said as she rubbed the back of her neck as she loosened up her muscles.

"Then your fates have already been decided," Cheren said as he revealed a blue sheath, "You should be grateful to your luck, Demon. Unlike Jotaro, I don't find torture satisfying to me. Just simply slicing your head off is all I need."

Kaisetsu got a pleased glint in her eyes seeing a swordsman among the group, but more pleased to see the yellow stone attached to the blue sheath of Cheren's sword. "Oh really? Too bad for you I'm not an idiot like my captain, who's absent along with our navigator," she said as she grabbed the guard of Murasaki. "I'm also happy to see you carrying around a bankerite gem. It'll go nicely with the one I already have." She said as she took out her ice bankerite gem, which was now glowing.

"A bankerite gem that grants you the ability to use ice, is that right?" Cheren asked, "I can tell from it's color."

"And by the coloring of yours I can see you have the ancient lightning one. It'll go quite well with my ice gem," Kaisetsu said drawing her sword completely out.

"That's not going to happen, Demon." Cheren said as he tapped his bankerite gem against his sword causing it to transform into a lightning sword, "Because my sword, Zeus, will end up swallowing your ice whole."

The air between the two suddenly grew both cold and electric as they stared at each other's, cold and emotionless eyes before they dashed at each other and with one swing clashed their swords together causing a rippling effect across the island.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

After a long time of running away from Belle and Yoshino, Ackmor suddenly found himself in the ruins of a temple deep inside of a jungle. The android was running out of breath and sat down to regain his stamina.

"I swear, this illusionary world doesn't stop with the surprises," He said as he looked around, "Seriously, how long have I been here? It feels like it's been forever since I've been in the real world. Now that I think of it...this place is starting to feel like the real world somehow."

"My, my, if it isn't the lost, sad, little android," a familiar voice said causing Ackmor to jump up from his seat.

"Sakuya?" Ackmor asked.

"Well, it's not really surprising," another voice said as Kaisetsu stepped out of the shadows with Sakuya with her Murasaki drawn.

"Kaisetsu...both of you are part of Jotaro's illusions, aren't you?" Ackmor asked.

"That's right, Ackmor," Belle shouted as she and Yoshino blasted their way through a wall to enter the ruins.

"Finally caught up to you," Yoshino said, "You're like a forest deer. You love to run, but eventually you grow tired and become easy prey."

"Everyone…" Ackmor said thinking for a second that these were the real people, but he shook his head, "No, they're not real. Jotaro's just trying to mess with you!"

"Or am I?" Jotaro asked as he suddenly appeared behind Ackmor.

"Jotaro!" Ackmor shouted, "I've had enough of this dumb game. Let me go already!"

"And throw away a chance to make you suffer for what you said to me?" Jotaro asked before he giggled evilly, "Fat chance. You've made this illusionary world very interesting to me."

"I-I did?" Ackmor asked.

"Kukuku, even though I have the power to create a world of illusions, how that illusionary world looks is dependent on the person I use it on," Jotaro said.

"So that means…" Ackmor said understanding what the kid was saying.

"The beach, the dark forest, the city, and even these ruins," Jotaro said, "You've been to them before."

"No wonder they all felt so familiar to me," Ackmor thought.

"I hope you're now saying your final prayers, because I'm going to make you feel absolute pain now that I know what you fear more than death itself." Jotaro said.

"What?" Ackmor said.

"Yeah, you heard him you useless navigator," Belle said with an evil smirk.

Hearing those words from Belle made Ackmor's heart beat rise as he turned around to look at his four friends who were chuckling amusingly.

"In case you were wondering why I keep referring to you as game for me to kill, well...that's all I think of you," Yoshino said, "We're lucky to have gotten a few feet from the last island with you guiding us."

"Yoshino-kun is right as always," Sakuya said hugging Yoshino, "I don't know why I wasted time getting to know so much as your lame name."

"No...you don't mean that," Ackmor said. "You're all illusions!"

"If we didn't, would we be saying that," Kaisetsu said, "We're more than just your illusions, Ackmor."

"We are the embodiments of the new fear you have developed," Belle said, "The fear of being useless to us."

"N-no...th-that's not...true," Ackmor said as he started to sweat and back away from everyone. "I have been useful to you guys…"

 **"But have we ever shown our gratitude to you, Ackmor?"** Momo asked.

"The most you've gotten from me is a half-assed complement of how awesome you are," Belle said, "I've never even cared that you were doing a good job. You're nothing to me, android."

Jotaro smiled in glee as Ackmor slowly but surely looked like his whole world had shattered, "Kukuku, that's it. Just let the fear overtake you and all will be over soon."

"It's over, Ackmor," Yoshino said as he prepared to fire his bow.

"No one here cares about you," Sakuya said as she embedded her palms in water.

"No one here needs you," Kaisetsu said as she embedded Murasaki in ice.

"And no one would even notice if you disappear," Belle said as she prepared her Ice Bomb.

"Now disappear!" Jotaro shouted.

"Ice Bomb/Ittoryu: Sanjuroku Pound Ho/Owl's Shooting Star/Water Slicer!" All four of the illusionary Oathkeeper's shouted as they sent their strongest ranged attack straight towards the android as a means of finishing him off. All four attacks connected causing an explosion of ice and water.

However, before Jotaro could rejoice in the death of the person who made him remember his parents, a voice was heard through the smoke.

"Using illusions to kill your enemies," the dark male voice said, "Could you not be anymore pathetic?"

"What?!" Jotaro asked.

Suddenly, a figure jumped out of the smoke and summoned three more figures out of thin air, "Four-Man Shuriken Strike!" The figure shouted as the clones threw four shuriken at the illusion Oathkeepers striking them in the chest.

"No!" Jotaro shouted in shock as he watched his illusions disappear, "My illusions!"

Ackmor opened his eyes when he noticed that he didn't get hit and when he did, he saw a figure standing in front of him.

The figure wore a black armor that had blood red linings on the side with matching greaves and leggings. The helmet was gray and had small line openings on the mouth to allow breathing with openings for the eyes which showed yellow colored irises.

"Who...are you?" Ackmor asked looking at the menacing figure.

The figure didn't say anything to the android and only began to slowly walk towards the frightened Jotaro. "So you're one of those brats the captain's been talking about."

"This...is impossible," Jotaro said as his breathing became heavy, "You're not suppose to be here! Nobody can enter the world of illusion without my say-so!"

"This is the fruits of your Illusion Illusion Fruit," The figure asked before he let out a baffled laugh, "Pathetic. My dead father could make better illusions than this kiddie pool. No wonder the captain laid you punks out as meat shields for our master's test."

"Test?" Ackmor asked.

"W-we're...meat shields…?" Jotaro asked.

"Yes, and you have actually both fulfilled _and_ failed your duty at the same time," The figure said as he took out three shurikens, "You just had to pick the android as your opponent to put in here. Little do you know that you also dragged me here."

"N-No! I didn't!" Jotaro shouted in fear as tears fell from his eyes, "I can only bring one person in here with me! I don't know how you got here!"

"Be grateful that you'll die here and now, kid," The figure said, "Because even if I spare you, Kadiri will definitely not." He shouted as he attempted to strike Jotaro with the shuriken; however, Ackmor managed to block the strike with his left arm leaving Jotaro in shock that his opponent would actually try and save him.

Ackmor glared into the figure's yellow eyes, "What the hell are you doing bullying this kid for an honest mistake?"

The figure remained silent as he allowed Ackmor to push him away.

"What is this about a test and these kids being meat shields?!" Ackmor asked, "Who are you and what pirate crew are you from?!"

The figure still chooses not to say a single word to the android angering him.

"Well?! If you're going to say something, say it to my face!" Ackmor shouted.

Jotaro, however, couldn't stand to see the figure for another second, "I-I can't take this anymore! I have to get us out of this world and away from him now!"

"What?!" Ackmor asked, "You can get us out!"

"Ackmor…" The figure said.

Ackmor looked back at the figure in surprise, "How do you know my name?"

"...I am very disappointed in you, Ackmor," The figure said, "Remember my name: Zed. I promise you, you will not be happy when you see me again."

"Zed…" Ackmor whispered before suddenly Jotaro's world disappeared along with the mysterious figure named Zed. All that he was left with was a shivering Jotaro.

Jotaro's eyes widen in complete shock, "Wh-why? Why did that happen?" He cried. "This is supposed to be my world where nobody was supposed to ruin it! No one else is allowed here! This is my world I make the rules. No one else!" He screamed

Ackmor went down to his knees to be at eye level with the frightened boy, "Jotaro...please listen to me. I think it's time to stop hiding behind everything you see. I'm sorry that your life has forced you to do these heartless things...but even so...I want to help you get through this. A child such as yourself can't be feeling these lonely feelings."

Jotaro looked up at him with tears cascading down his face. "Shut up! You're just like everyone else…just like mommy and daddy! No one loved Jotaro, everyone hated him. They wanted Jotaro to die, to disappear! I don't want to disappear! I want to live too! Why can't Jotaro live?!" The small boy wailed.

"...Your life is precious, Jotaro," Ackmor said as he hugged him, "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Not your friends, not your parents, and especially not yourself."

"Huh?" Jotaro asked.

"I know no one can escape their past, but the pain of the past is nowhere near as painful as the future if you let it affect you." Ackmor explained, "You kids...you could have all lived together and looked after one another. You're all friends aren't you, so did any of you even comfort one another about your problems?"

Jotaro's mouth stayed open as his mind thought about it, "N-No...none of us understood each other...we only cared about getting revenge…we only cared about what Erica wanted because we thought if we did want she wanted we..we could somehow find a place to belong...a place to be loved in," he said starting to cry again as he glared at Ackmor through his tears. "What's wrong with wanting that huh?! What about you?! Did you have parents who hated you all your life?! If not, then what gives you the right to judge us?!"

"..." Ackmor didn't answer that question since he knew Jotaro was right. "You're right...I don't have the right to judge you, because I don't know who my parents are. I'm trying to get back all of my memories by being with my friends. If my parents never loved me like yours, then I won't let it bother me."

"What?! Why?!" Jotaro asked completely shocked by what he was hearing.

Ackmor let out a smile, "Because my friends can be my real family. As I listened to the illusions talk about how worthless they thought I was, I remembered how none of my friends would never act like that, so….so they probably don't think I'm worthless to them, contrary to my biggest fear. You don't need parents to have a loving family, Jotaro. What you really need...are just people who love you."

"I...I...think you're...right…" Jotaro hesitantly said, "Cheren cares about me...Daimon cares about me...Megumi cares about me and...so does Erica. Can all of us...be a family together?"

Ackmor gave the boy a smile as he patted him on the head, "You sure can, Jotaro. And by the way, sorry for making your remember your terrible parents. I really didn't mean to. How about I get you something to cheer you up when we wake up."

"You'd do that?" Jotaro asked.

"Cross my heart...and hope to glide on rails," Ackmor said.

"Kukuku, it's hope to fly, silly!" Jotaro said laughing.

"Belle! You no-good liar!" Ackmor shouted angrily making Jotaro laugh even harder. "Oh, I forgot to tell you my name. It's Ackmor."

"Ackmor...I like your name," Jotaro said, "I'm Jotaro. Sorry for what I put you through….I hope...we can be friends."

Ackmor smiled, "It's no problem and of course we can be friends."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

When Ackmor woke up, he found himself lying on the ground. "What? Where am I?"

"Acky?" Belle asked noticing Ackmor was awake.

"Belle?" Ackmor asked.

"Acky! Thank goodness you're awake!" Belle shouted hugging Ackmor.

"Hey! Not so tight," Ackmor shouted trying to keep his balance, "Where are we, Belle?"

"I dunno, some random building," Belle said, "I dragged you out of there after that dumb kid knocked you out. He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Nah, it's just a case of blind anger that was settled with an apology," Ackmor said.

"But you didn't do anything wrong," Belle said.

"Well, it doesn't matter because I managed to get a friend out of it." Ackmor said, "Hey, we should head back before something bad happens."

"Right, Hana's gonna get double teamed now that the Jotaro kid's awake." Belle said, "But are you going to be okay with your leg like that?"

"Oh, this?" Ackmor asked looking at his bandaged up leg, "Well you patched it up so a little fast walking shouldn't do anything bad to it."

"Okay then, let's go," Belle said as she and Ackmor left the building to find Hana and the two kids.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Back at Kaisetsu's fight against Cheren, the swordswoman began to throw out a volley of slash attacks from her swords watching as the younger boy parried each strike with his own sword.

Then, Jotaro, whose body was unconscious woke up to the sounds of Cheren fighting; however, before he could do anything, he was met with a sword to his face from Hana.

"Don't move an inch," Hana said.

"W-wait, I need to talk to Cheren," Jotaro said.

"Not a chance," Hana said, "You're not going to move until this sword duel is done."

Jotaro looked over at Cheren who had not noticed that he was awake, _"I have to warn everyone...all of what we've been doing has been a set up and we're going to get killed!"_

Cheren kept blocking Kaisetsu's attack watching and waiting for the chance to strike her down. "The power in your strikes have increased. Does this mean you're ready to take me seriously now?" he asked as he moved in for a upward slash attack.

Kaisetsu seeing the attack coming quickly jumped back away from the boy's reach as she stared him down. "So you could tell I was holding back. Glad to see you have such an intune with your sword to know whether your opponent is fighting at full strength or not. May I ask who taught you the way of the sword?"

"That's only if you answer me the same question," Cheren said.

"A swordsman's honor. Very well...you have my word." Kaisetsu said.

"The one who taught me the ways of the sword was myself," Cheren said.

"Yourself?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Correct, it is taught that a swordsman must be calm, precise, and as cold as ice itself." Cheren said, "But I view that way of wielding a sword meaningless. Now what about you? Who taught you how to wield a sword?"

"I have many people who taught me how to fight as a swordswoman. My father was the one who introduced me to swordsmanship. I then later learned from my older sister Morgana, and then our master and finally from my friend...Dracule Kadari."

"An older sister…" Cheren whispered as his eyes hardened, "Tell me, how lucky were you to have such a loving sister?"

"Lucky?" Kaisetsu asked in confusion, "What you mean by that?"

"Why should I even bother? My sister didn't care about how much pain I had to endure because of my parents." Cheren explained as he stared at his raven-haired opponent. "You would call that kind of person a real sister? Adults really do not make sense to me."

Kaisetsu's grip tighten on her swords as she glared at Cheren. "Don't waste your time spouting lies to confuse me! Morgana would never do something so horrible!"

Cheren eyes harden. "Oh really? And what makes you so sure of that huh? What makes you think someone can't change who they are. Is it because you love them that you believe they can't hurt you or others around them?! Well you're wrong! Everyone hurts others in this life and no one is the exception to the rule!" he yelled launching a blast of blue lightening at Kaisetsu.

Reacting quickly, Kaisetsu sliced the ground in front of her horizontally with her ice-coated blade to form a large ice wall that deflected the lightning attack.

Cheren quickly moved close to the ice wall, jumped over it, and prepared to hit Kaisetsu with a diving lightning slash.

The swordswoman side-stepped to her left and intercepted Cheren's strike with her own. The impact from the strikes caused the ground beneath them to crumble into smaller pieces of rocks until both sword wielders backed away from each other.

However, the moment Cheren put some distance between him and his opponent, he suddenly felt pain in his body, "Ggh…" He winced as he fell on one knee and covered his mouth as he coughed out blood.

Kaisetsu looked on worriedly from the sudden coughing fit from the boy but shook off the concern as she charged in at him for an upward slash attack.

" _This…."_ Cheren thought as he saw his opponent moving in for an attack. He quickly intercepted her attack with his own, _"This sickness is nothing!"_ He thought.

Jotaro, who was watching the two fight, started to worry about Cheren's current state, "Oh no...don't tell me Cheren didn't take his medicine...He always remembers to take his medicine!" He said with fear in his words.

As the fight between the two sword wielder's continued on, Cheren's condition continued to deteriorate. His attacks began to weaken and his speed had rapidly decreased.

Kaisetsu took this chance to finally deal a critical blow by striking Cheren across his torso.

"...Gh…" Cheren gritted his teeth to prevent himself from screaming in pain as he held his bleeding torso.

"Ch-Cheren!" Jotaro screamed. He was about to rush in to help him, but Hana stopped him.

"I said not another move," Hana shouted.

Cheren looked over to see Jotaro up and awake, "Jotaro? You're awake already?! Get out of here, now! You become defenseless after you create an illusionary world!"

"Cheren! Don't tell me you forgot to take your medicine!" Jotaro shouted.

"..."

"Medicine?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Don't let them distract you, Kaisetsu," Hana shouted, "Finish off your opponent!"

"I'm fine, Jotaro. A little coughing fit won't hurt me in the slightest." Cheren said.

"It's not a coughing fit! You're dying!" Jotaro shouted. "This is because of what your parents did to you! Don't tell me you forgot the time you told me about this!"

"I didn't…" Cheren replied.

"Your...dying?" Kaisetsu asked a little shocked by the news, "I thought your coughing was due to a previous injury. What did your parents do to you?"

"Kaisetsu!" Hana shouted actually shocked that Kaisetsu was buying into the story already.

"It's none of your business. You wouldn't understand in the slightest...none of you do." Cheren said.

"If I am fighting someone who is already on the brink of death, then this fight of ours is not worthy of a swordsman." Kaisetsu said, "Explain your condition, or I will not continue this fight."

"What makes you think I give a crap about whether this battle is okay with your standards or not?!" Cheren shouted as he slowly began to lose his calm temper.

"You may not have a sense of honor when it comes to wielding your sword, but I do. Murasaki is the treasure that my sister and I share and I will not discrete her blade by striking down an unworthy opponent."

Cheren growled as he glared at Kaisetsu viciously. "I told you I don't care what you think of me! I'm not a swordsman bound by honor! Such honor does nothing but prevent you from protecting what really matters! If your honor calls for you to leave yourself open to death from an opponent faking his condition, then I'd rather die on the battlefield with a real condition!"

"How does it fail to protect those who matter? What fool of a swordsman will let themselves be tricked so easily to believing there opponent was faking sickness? Who do you wish to protect if you let yourself get into this haggard state?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Enough! I will not waste my time with your delusional questions. If you don't fight, then this duel's winner has been decided!" Cheren declared.

Kaisetsu sighed as she moved in to disarm Cheren of his blade. When Cheren blade was knocked away from his sword, Kaisetsu quickly pinned the young boy to the ground with his arms held against his back.

"Get off me! How dare you belittle me! I'm a fighter damn you!" Cheren yelled in outrage trying to fight Kaisetsu off of him before breaking into choking gasping coughs as blood poured from his mouth.

Kaisetsu eyes harden at the sorry sight the young boy had gone into and glanced over to his frightened friend. "Hey mask boy do you have his medicine or know where it is?"

Jotaro looked up at Kaisetsu with teary petrified eyes from seeing the state his usually strong big brother was in. Giving a shaky nod Jotaro pointed to Cheren's back pocket. "Big brother always keeps it in his pocket...that way if he ever gets like this Jotaro can give it to him..."

Kaisetsu nodded as she reached into the weaken boy's pocket finding the case of medicine. Looking as the case Kaisetsu saw that the boy had been skipping days of his intended doses. "Looks like today isn't the first day you missed...Care to explain why you stop taking your medicine when it's supposed to be keeping you alive?"

"...? Does my life suddenly have importance to someone?! That's a surprise, I never thought anyone would care to notice if I've neglected those damn pills!" Cheren shouted.

Kaisetsu was about to make a statement to the boys cruel words but was beaten to the punch.

"OF COURSE YOUR LIFE MATTERS!" Jotaro screamed gaining the two's attention. The young boy was fighting tears as he glared at Cheren. "If Jotaro lost Cheren then Jotaro would forever be alone! Cheren promised Jotaro when they left the demons they always be together! Was Cheren lying to Jotaro or did Cheren never care about Jotaro at all?!" the little boy screamed.

"That was years ago, Jotaro….Things have changed." Cheren explained, "I don't even care about myself anymore."

Jotaro shook his head. "You're wrong! Cheren hasn't changed at all. Cheren always look after Jotaro just like he always has. Jotaro knows he couldn't help Cheren when his parents did bad things to Cheren, but he would have if he was stronger! That's why we stick together so we can protect each other."

"Jotaro...it's not that simple!" Cheren shouted, "It's easy for you to forget, but me...even if I'm free from those drugs, I still can't get the proper sleep my body needs. I can still hear their angry shouts whenever I so much as put the pencil down or so much as think about taking a break! I...I just want it all to end and I was hoping to slip it by you...You'd stop me if I ever talked about it."

Jotaro was crying as Cheren yelled at him. Kaisetsu watched the two kids closely before sighing as she took out the boy's medicine and popped open his mouth to insert the dose.

"Look I know this world is a messed up place, but a kid shouldn't be wishing to die so young. Don't you know kids your age who die for no reason would love to have kept on living if given the chance? Hearing you talk about wanting to die pisses me off!" Kaisetsu yelled making Cheren swallow his medication. "This life we are given is not a toy to scalder off because it's a hard life!"

Cheren coughed as he was forced to swallow his medication down. Looking back at Kaisetsu with hate filled eyes. "Say that to the people who put me under thousands of energy pills and they'll think you're delusional! I didn't ask for this life and I didn't ask to be the child of those demons! You think we call adults demons just because we hate them? Guess again! Our demons are truly demons beyond your understanding!" Cheren shouted.

"You use the word demon so carelessly you little shit. Yea some adults are bastards and don't deserve to walk around like normal humans, but they do. That's called life. You wanna talk about demons then how about meeting a real demon and have said demon kill someone you loved."

"..."

"You're parents were complete trash and I understand it's hard to feel like this world is something great to live in yet you were hurt most by the people who were never supposed to hurt you at all. I had great parents who loved me and took care of me so I can't understand your pain, but there is someone who understands standing right in front of you" Kaisetsu said softly making Cheren look over at the weeping Jotaro. "Time eventually heals wounds especially if you have people who truly care about you to help you heal. And by the looks of it kid you have a really good support system in your little brother over there so if you don't want to live then at least try and remember he wants you to live with him."

"..." All Cheren could do was remain silent. He had no idea what to say. The only thing he could do was just stare as Jotaro continued to cry.

Jotaro who was crying still crawled over to Cheren's side and reached for his hand. "Jotaro loves big brother Cheren. I never want to be alone again and having you around makes Jotaro happy. I don't want to hurt people anymore because hurting others keeps hurting Cheren. I don't want Big Brother Cheren to ever hurt again, so lets leave and find our own place to be happy."

It was Cheren's turn to cry, "Jotaro…" He whispered as he tried to hide his weak face from their eyes, "I'm...sorry…" He sobbed, "I didn't know...you actually cared *sob* all this time."

Knowing what she had to do, Kaisetsu let go of Cheren and allowed Jotaro to wrap his brother in a tight hug.

"Kai!" a familiar voice called as Kaisetsu turned and saw Belle and Ackmor running towards her.

"Well look who's late to the party," Kaisetsu said. "You said you had this in the bag, Belle."

"Sorry...we didn't expect Sakuya and Ackmor to be in the predicaments they were in." Belle said.

"Speaking of Sakuya, is she okay?" Ackmor asked.

"Yep, she and some kid made it to the hideout, but they were both worn out," Kaisetsu said. "I've finished up those two kids as well, but I'm not sure how many more like them there are."

"Shishi, you never fail to amaze me, Kai," Belle said. "Our first island together as a crew and we're already kicking butt."

"We're not exactly kicking anyone's butt, Belle," Ackmor said, "These kids have been through terrible things in their life. We did more talking than we did fighting so far...well at least I did."

"So did I," Kaisetsu said, "But I doubt Marie's siren crew will shiver in fright of our words."

"I know~! That's why I'm so excited to fight them!" Belle said.

"Again, what is there to be excited about fighting people who want to kill us?!" Ackmor asked.

"Surviving of course," Belle said with a cheeky grin.

"I give up trying to understand you, Belle," Ackmor said as he facepalmed.

Hana cleared her throat to get the trio's attention, "I'm sorry if I am intruding…"

"Oh it's alright, Hana," Belle said, "Isn't Kai awesome or what?"

"...Yes, she is," Hana said as she turned back to Cheren and Jotaro, "As for you two, you're coming with us."

"And for what?" Cheren asked getting in front of Jotaro in a protective manner, "You think just because you beat us, you get to tell us what to do like our parents?"

"No, that's not what we're saying," Kaisetsu said, "We want to help you both."

"Yeah, along with the rest of you kids," Ackmor said, "If we just talk to you guys and listen to your problems, we can really help you."

"..." Hana only looked at both Kaisetsu and Ackmor with a slight glare.

Before anyone could say anything, pink petals were suddenly floating around the whole area.

"What in the world?" Belle asked, "What are those things?"

"They're so...pretty," Ackmor said.

"Sakura petals?" Kaisetsu asked, "But those only grow in the summer..." Then the girl's eyes widen when she noticed something about the petals, "All of you, get back NOW!" She screamed as everyone back off.

"Sakura's Coffin," a female voice said as the sakura petals all slammed together in the spot the trio was standing at.

"What the hell was that?" Hana asked.

"Those petals," Kaisetsu said staring at the sharper than usual petals, "Each of them are about as sharp as a dagger."

"What? Then we could have been turned into swiss cheese," Ackmor said.

"Cheren, Jotaro, are you both okay?!" the female voice asked.

"Megumi," Jotaro said as they saw Megumi appear from the pile of petals.

"Did...that girl just appear out of the petals?" Belle asked.

"A devil fruit user, no doubt," Hana said.

"You...how dare you attack my friends like that!" Megumi asked with a hateful glare, "You adults just don't know when to keel over and die, do you?!"

"Well maybe we wouldn't be so intent on beating you if you weren't so gungho about killing people!" Belle shouted, "Where's your leader! I want to give her a good beating for everything they've been doing!"

"As if I'd tell you!" Megumi said, "You'll not go anywhere near, Erica as long as we draw breath! This isn't over, Demons! We'll be back to kill all of you in no time! Come on, Cheren, Jotaro."

"...Right…" Cheren said as he carried Jotaro, opened the gates, and walked into the building with Megumi close behind with her sakura petals.

"Well...there goes our chance of getting in," Kaisetsu said.

"Now what do we do?" Ackmor asked.

"Go back to the hideout, I guess," Belle said, "There's no way we're going in there without a plan. Besides, we need to check up on Sakuya and the other kid."

"Oh, that's right! We need to warn that kid!" Ackmor shouted in alarm.

"Daimon?" Belle asked.

"Yeah him," Ackmor said.

"Okay, warn him about what?" Kaisetsu asked.

"I can tell you on the way, so we have to hurry," Ackmor said.

"...You guys go on ahead," Hana said.

"Huh?" Belle asked.

"Is there something wrong, Hana?" Kaisetsu asked, "You haven't been acting right lately."

"...I'm fine," Hana said, "I'm going to try and find a way into Towa Tower. I'll be okay."

"I don't know…" Ackmor said.

"Well if you think you can handle it, I'll leave you to it," Belle said, "Just don't get caught, okay?"

"Got it," Hana said as the trio went off back to the sewers without here. Hana sighed as she looked up at the Tower, _"Damn them...they were willing to let criminals walk away with a slap on the wrist for killing innocents!"_ She thought, _"Once I get my katana back and call my mother, it'll be the marine's turn to be on the offensive."_

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile on the shores of Towa Island, a boat had arrived at its destination. From that boat, a black-haired boy walked off. The boy wore a full black kimono outfit with bandages underneath that were wrapped around his abdomen. Strapped on his body behind him was a black sword concealed in a black sheath. His eyes were yellow with black linings within the irises resembling that of a hawk and he had a scar on his left eye.

"Towa Island…" the boy said as he examined the wreckage the Warriors of Hope had done on the island, "The dark powers the captain gave to those kids are potent. Imagine if they were grown and have mastered it...but why did she give them those powers? No matter...I came here for one important thing and one unimportant thing: Carrying out the captain's order and Ibuki." The boy said before he let out a sigh. This boy was none other than Dracule Kadiri, "Let's get this over with."

* * *

 **Jurabi: Wow….I actually updated faster?! *Gasp* And we finally got past the previous rewrite chapter max. Let's hope I don't have to re-try this, because I really don't want to. Everyone should be able to review in this chapter now. I still don't know why reviews don't get deleted along with a chapter. I think this should get fixed!**

 **So yes, if you haven't noticed, I have played League of Legends. It surprising provides a lot of ideas for characters like Zed, who will be an interesting one to write. And finally, Dracule Kadiri is here (back!)**

 **So let me tell you a bit of history: In the original story to this fanfic, Dracule Kadiri was made up by me to be Kaisetsu's pirate rival and he...well I don't wanna spoil but as Kaisetsu suggests, he's a good friend of hers.**

 **Now I am getting pumped up again. I haven't updated a story this fast in a long ass time. This arc should have at least 1 or 2 chapters left then it's onto Aroma Island. I can't wait guys! :DDD**

 **Anyways, I'm very glad you took the time and patience to wait for my lazy ass to get this done. If you want to share your thoughts, write up a great review. And if you haven't already, hit that favorite and follow button for both the story and myself! And until next time, I'll see you in chapter 13!**


	13. Sakura Petals

**Previously on One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates…**

 _ **"I dunno….I just keep on rambling for a long period of time." Jotaro said as he nursed his head, "Like a bear that sleeps for a very long time...Oh and also like fish can keep swimming."**_

 _ **Belle and Ackmor stared at the masked boy with confused looks, "Is he alright?" Ackmor asked.**_

 _ **"Yeah, he talks like he was dropped on his head as a baby." Belle said.**_

 _ **"No, I dropped myself on my head, baby lumpkin," Jotaro tells her.**_

 _ **"Did that mask freak just call me a baby lumpkin?!" Belle asked angrily.**_

 _ **"Yea, I did," Jotaro taunted, "What you gonna do about it, Miss Baby Lumpkin Diva?"**_

 _ **"Oh that's it! Lemme at him!" Belle screamed trying to run over and beat Jotaro to a bloody pulp, but Ackmor was holding her back.**_

 _ **"Belle, calm down," Ackmor said, "I don't understand what's so offensive about that name."**_

 _ **"Acky...that brat called me a skanky girl, someone who will have sex with anyone especially for drugs!" Belle shouted.**_

 _ **"What?!" Ackmor asked in shock, "How does a kid like him know that term?!"**_

 **And now...back to Oda-senpai's greatness.**

 **One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates Opening 2: IGNITE [Aoi Eir]**

* * *

 **Sakura Petals**

"Ow!" Cheren yelled out in pain from how aggressively Megumi was dressing his wounds, "Could you be a bit more careful when you do that, Megumi?"

Megumi sent a leering glare at the blue haired boy as she forcefully yet lightly placed the sterile dresser on his arm wound bringing out a pain induced scream from the boy.

"M-Megumi, that's not how you dress wounds!" Jotaro shouted getting worried for Cheren receiving Megumi's harsh treatment.

"Asking me to be careful after the suicidal stunt you pulled is like asking a cat to speak with its nose plugged up!" Megumi shouted angrily.

"That's...oddly specific…" Cheren said scratching his head.

"Don't change the subject, Cheren," Megumi said as she grabbed on his shirt and pulled him closer, "What the hell were you thinking? Not taking those pills that I specifically instructed you to take?! Do you take me for some doctor in training who lacks concern for the health of her patient?! Do you?!"

"That's not it at all, Megumi," Cheren said. "It's...well…"

"Cheren didn't want to take the pills because he wanted to die," Jotaro said.

"...So that's what this is about?" Megumi asked looking at Cheren with a scolding look, "Did you just suddenly decide to stop caring about The Warriors of Hope?! Do our goals no longer mean anything to you? Daimon, Jotaro, Erica, and me...Are we nothing to you?!"

"You have it wrong. All of you mean a lot to me," Cheren said as he stared at his bandaged arms, "I've had this pain buried inside of me for a long time eating away at me, constantly telling me to end it all, and above all, reminding me of my demon parents."

"Cheren…" Jotaro said knowing how much it hurts to be reminded of their awful parents.

"If we really meant that much to you, you wouldn't have let this feeling beat you into this state," Megumi said, "Your demon parents are gone and they won't hurt you ever again. So instead of getting bent up by the past, why don't we keep moving forward and achieve our goal of making a peaceful kid paradise?"

"How can you say that to us, Megumi?" Cheren asked, "You've never...your parents…"

"I know, Cheren," Megumi said, "I don't have the right to basically tell you what's right and what's wrong, but I'm your friend so I'm gonna do it anyway."

"That's your reasoning?" Cheren asked.

"Kukuku, Megumi you're awesome! Can we eat some pancakes?" Jotaro asked.

"It's almost nighttime, Jotaro," Megumi said, "Let's wait till tomorrow."

"Aw…." Jotaro whined.

"By the way, didn't you have something to warn us about?" Cheren asked.

Jotaro's eyes widen when he remembered Zed's threat, "That's right, I did! Where's Erica? I need to tell her this too!"

"Tell Erica what," A voice asked as the kids turned to their green-haired leader in the wheelchair.

"Erica, it's horrible," Jotaro said, "You know that scary guy? The scary guy from the nice lady's crew?!"

"Nice lady…?" Erica asked before she later understands, "Oh, you mean Big Sis Zenith and Big Bro Zed!"

"What's the matter, Jotaro?" Megumi asked.

"W-Well…" Jotaro said trying to explain everything.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Are you serious?" Yoshino asked through Momo wondering if what Ackmor was saying was true.

Belle, Kaisetsu, and Ackmor had returned to the hideout to check up on Sakuya and Daimon, who were still resting, and discuss their next move. Ackmor had gone through explaining what had happened in Jotaro's illusionary world especially the man he met named Zed.

"This Zed person tried to kill that illusion kid," Belle asked in shock.

"Not only that, but they were called meat shields in this mysterious test that's apparently going on?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Yeah...I still can't believe that bastard called the poor kid that," Ackmor said, "And all because of an accident."

"That's quite a story," Kaji said, "More importantly, I'm glad that you all got here safely."

"Except for the sword girl who's oddly missing," Carl said referring to Hana, "Where is Hana?"

"She's still trying to find a way into Towa Tower," Belle said, "Who knows? She might even be able to call in some help."

"You left her alone in those handcuffs?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"She insisted," Ackmor said.

" **Silly android,"** Momo said, " **You should know better than to trust girls who insist on doing something."**

"What's that suppose to mean?" Ackmor asked.

" **Admit it, you're just a naive boy who's gonna get punked by a girl and end up moneyless,"** Momo taunted.

"Is this going to be your thing? Just sneak in a snarky comment at any chance you get?" Ackmor asked.

" **Well excuse Momo for trying to enjoy every moment when he actually talks for himself!"** Momo shouted, " **Did you forget that Momo is also Yoshino's voice?! Momo is talking constantly thanks to him. Do you know how bad Momo's voice gets every day?! Hell yes Momo is gonna find a snarky comment to make!"**

Kaisetsu facepalmed, "Yoshino...however or whenever this….thing was created, did you really have to let him talk on his own?"

"You're not alone, Kaisetsu," Yoshino said through Momo, "I think of the same exact thing sometimes."

" **Yeah, and Momo heard every thought too,"** Momo said angrily.

"Yoshino-kun~!" Sakuya said as she started to wake up, "The sound of your voice is like heaven waking me up from sleep."

"Oh great...the first words that come out of her mouth," Kaisetsu groaned.

"I'm okay now, Kaisetsu, thank you very much," Sakuya said annoyed by Kaisetsu's remark.

"Are you really, Sakuya?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"I am, Yoshino-kun," Sakuya said with a smile before she turned to the still sleeping Daimon, "Is Daimon going to be okay?"

"Yeah, apart from a few bruises, he'll be fine with a few days of rest," Kaji said, "I'm impressed that you actually let the boy live after he just tried to kill you."

"I couldn't do that to him," Sakuya said, "Not after what had happened to him, the monster he turned into."

"Monster?" Carl asked.

"Yeah, this kid transformed into this weird black monster after he starting having some kind of tantrum," Belle said, "And not the kind of tantrum kids make when they don't get the candy bar they want."

"In a way, that's true," Ackmor said, "He basically started crying and screaming all of a sudden. I can't help but feel like it's something that we said to him that started it."

"Hmm...I bet it has something to do with PTSD," Kaji said.

"PTSD?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder," Sakuya said, "It's when an individual suddenly remembers a past event that they haven't recovered from, usually when said events have something to do with violence and bloodshed."

"It's a common disorder that many in war armies possess," Carl explained, "But in kids? That can't be possible."

"Actually, Jotaro also did something similar to what Daimon did after I said something," Ackmor said, "He must have had that disorder too."

"Yeah, and Cheren had these pills he uses to keep himself alive," Kaisetsu said, "Probably keeping himself from getting that disorder too."

"Dang...these kids have been having it rough," Belle said, "There's no way this can be a coincidence."

"And that's not the worst part," Kaji said, "Eventually, the people of Towa Island will want to take back the island from Erica by force. I doubt they'll forgive those kids for the lives they've taken no matter how hard we try to justify what they did."

"Kaji...you're still feeling hurt that your own sister is behind the attack, aren't you?" Sakuya said.

"Of course I am…" Kaji said with a worried sigh, "To be honest, I'm more worried about what will happen after we retake the island. As the overseer of this island, I have to brand Erica and the kids as murderers and hand them over to the Marines…but...they're kids who've seen hell up close and lost their pure minds in the process."

"Are you really going to turn us in?" A young voice asked as everyone turned to Daimon, who looked wide awake.

"Daimon, thank goodness you're awake," Sakuya said, "How are you feeling?"

"...I'm not entirely sure…" Daimon said looking down.

"You heard everything, didn't you kid?" Yoshino asked through Momo as Daimon nodded.

" **Should have figured that he would fake sleep so he could listen in on our discussion,"** Momo said.

"Listen, Daimon, I know that you must be feeling scared, but we really mean you no harm," Ackmor said, "Could you maybe tell us what's going on?"

"You didn't answer my question first," Daimon said a bit aggressively.

"Hey, don't forget that you and your friends killed people and destroyed this island," Kaisetsu said coldly, "You are in our custody, so I would mind my own damn manners if I were you."

"Kaisetsu," Sakuya said sending a scolding glare at the girl, "This boy doesn't trust everyone here. Of course he's not going to act in a polite manner."

"Until this matter is resolved, Daimon, I can't exactly tell you whether or not I will turn you into the authorities," Kaji said, "It all depends on Hana, who is a marine-in-training."

"I see…" Daimon said.

"Right now, we need you to tell us what happened to you," Kaji said, "To all of you especially Erica."

"Why do you think I'll be any help to you," Daimon asked. "Like the woman with the swords said: I killed a lot of people…"

"We know that, but what we want to know is _why_ you did it," Belle said, "You're a kid who should never have done these terrible things yet you did."

"If you can tell us why you and your friends harbor such a hatred against adults, we might be able to settle this peacefully without further violence," Carl said.

"I…" Daimon looked at Sakuya wondering if it would be okay for him to talk.

Sakuya nodded and grabbed hold of his hand, "It'll be alright. I'll be able to help your friends just like I helped you. If this is the last time you want to trust an adult, please trust me."

Daimon thought about it for a few seconds before he took in a deep breath, "Okay...I'll tell you everything about what happened to me and what my friends told of themselves."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Really?!" Cheren asked after hearing Jotaro's explanation.

"So you ended up dragging Zed into your illusion world?" Megumi asked, "How in the world did you manage that?"

"I told you," Jotaro said, "I don't know. It wasn't supposed to happen, but he didn't care. He called all of us meat shields and said Kadiri is going to kill us!"

"What? We didn't even do anything wrong," Cheren said, "Wasn't this exactly what they wanted us to do?! We gave them access to the schematics of Towa Island's latest weapons and this is how they repay us?!"

"We should have known better than to trust those adults," Megumi said, "They never fail to surprise me with their vile decisions to toss us like trash. So what now, Erica."

Erica let out a little giggle, "Ah, there's nothing to worry about."

The three kids all looked at Erica with confused glances. "What?" Jotaro asked.

"There's nothing to worry about," Erica repeated, "Erica will take care of anyone who dares try to hurt her Warriors of Hope. Erica is the leader after all."

"S-sure, Erica," Cheren said, "But...this is a full-grown pirate we're talking about. Kadiri is not like all the other powerless adults we've easily killed. I've heard stories that, like his father, he has the powers of a demon inside of him."

"Erica knows," Erica said with a smile, "Erica met Kadiri herself so he shouldn't be a problem. Why don't you all continue with the game. Erica loves the game."

"We can't exactly do that with these new about-to-be's if Cheren and Jotaro got beaten by them," Megumi said.

"Hmm...how about you, Megumi?" Erica asked, "You have the strongest devil fruit out of all of us."

"Right, those demons may have been able to handle Daimon and Jotaro, but I am untouchable in mine," Megumi said.

"Wait," Jotaro shouted getting everyone's attention, "Do...do we really have to kill these people?"

"What kind of question is that, Jotaro? Are you going through another of your latchkey kid lines again?" Megumi asked giggling a bit.

"I'm serious," Jotaro shouted, "One of those demons named Ackmor said he was going to warn Daimon. That means that Daimon is still alive and they didn't kill him."

"Mrr…" Erica growled a bit at how much Jotaro was talking.

Seeing this, Cheren immediately stopped Jotaro from continuing, "Jotaro...why don't we get some rest for now and let Megumi and Erica handle the rest."

"But, but-" Jotaro stopped when he saw Cheren shake his head.

"We'll leave everything to you, Megumi," Cheren said.

"Of course," Megumi said with a smirk, "You guys always do~!" She said before she and Erica left the room.

"Whew, that was close…" Cheren said.

"Cheren...you don't mean to let Megumi hurt Ackmor…" Jotaro said.

"Heheh, I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling protective of those about-to-be's," Cheren said, "I bet Daimon feels the same way."

"Cheren…" Jotaro said.

"Don't worry, Cheren, we'll find a way out of this," Cheren said, "I...I don't know what it is, but I'm suddenly getting the feeling that Erica isn't being honest with us."

"Erica?!" Jotaro asked in shock. "What do you mean, Cheren?"

Cheren patted Jotaro's head lightly, "Don't worry, JoJo. You have too fragile of a heart to handle what I have to say. Get some rest."

Jotaro didn't like what Cheren said, but decided to do as he was told and rest.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"So your bugs last saw Daimon heading into the sewers?" Megumi asked.

"That's right," Erica said petting a black beetle before letting out a sad sigh, "Oh Daimon...he's probably being held captive by those demons. At this rate, he'll be killed by them. Cut, ground down, crushed and stretched, squashed into paste, burned and eaten! Poor little Daimon...even though Erica hated him."

Megumi slightly raised an eyebrow at the end of Erica's out-of-the-blue statement, but decided to put it in the back of her mind, "...Anyways, Erica, you have nothing to worry because I'll bring him back safe and sound, I give you my word."

"Save him?" Erica asked, "There's no need to risk your life to save Daimon, Megumi. He's going to die anyway."

"E-Erica...um...perhaps you're right...but...that's a fellow member of the Warriors of Hope down there. We can't just leave him down there, right?" Megumi asked.

"Absolutely," Erica said, "Daimon did his absolute best to fight demons, but now he must die with honor and dignity."

"Erica...what's wrong with you?" Megumi asked in shock, "Do you realize what you're saying? Aren't we the Warriors of Hope? A team? Shouldn't we help each other out in crisis situations? That's what you did for all of us...right?"

"...Megumi…" Erica said, "It sounds like you're saying that Erica is wrong."

"Huh?" Megumi asked.

Erica quickly lost her temper as she shouted, "Like! Erica! Said! You! Are! Trying! To! Say! Erica! Is! Wrong! You! Are! Questioning! Erica!"

Megumi's eyes widen at Erica's accusation as she quickly shook her head. "N..No! Erica is never wrong. I...I'll go kill all the adult demons and be back soon _without_ Daimon!" She shouted as she got on her knees, "S-so please don't be upset! I'm really really sorry, Erica."

Erica pouted a little and stared at Megumi for a second, "Are you telling the truth? Erica doesn't like liars."

"No, I promise I am not lying to you. I would never lie to you, Erica," Megumi said, "Please, please don't hate me. I spoke out of turn and I am really sorry. I'll take whatever punishment I deserve."

"..." Erica again stared at Megumi with cold icy eyes until she smiled and then giggled, "Ufufu, Erica knows Megumi wouldn't lie. Megumi doesn't have to be afraid of Erica hating her because, after all, Megumi is a kind, _gentle_ , little girl."

Suddenly, the color in Megumi's pink eyes suddenly vanished when she heard the word 'gentle', "G-Gen...t-t-tle…?" The pink-haired girl stood back up and slowly backed away. "G-g-gen...tle…?"

Megumi felt a painful ping that was hurting her head. The girl hugged her own shaking body as tears fell down from her pink eyes like rain, "N-No...p-please..a-anything but gentle! I-I'll d-do anything, but please...not gentle!" The girl screamed as she then clenched her hurting head, "I-It w-wasn't...her fault! I...I d-did it! I...It was all me! Pl-please...it's not...her...please...stop with the gentle! Why not me?! Why on Mommy?! She did nothing wrong!"

Erica watched the poor girl's agony with slight confusion until she finally remembered, "Oooh...that's right. _Gentle_ is a baaad word for Megumi. It causes her to remember things she doesn't want to remember."

Megumi tensed up crying harder as the 'G'-word was used again. "No...No gentle...Gentle bad gentle evil..." she cried holding herself tighter.

Erica sighed as she rolled over to her on her wheel chair, "I know, Megumi...that word is dreadful to you. You don't want to hear that word, do you?" She asked as Megumi shook her head. At her reply, Erica suddenly punched the girl in the face. "I know you never wanted that...not since your painful life." She said harshly as she not only broke her third-person, but also continued to punch Megumi several times, "You are the only kid I know who still loves her parents. I wondered why you were even a part of the Warriors of Hope, but now I see...you don't hate your parents, you hate the man who killed your mother. The man who turned your mother into a bomb and exploded her right in front of you face. You're still feeling the blood all over your body, aren't you? Kids don't necessarily have to hate their parents to justify killing adults. All it takes, is one adult to ruin everything for the rest. That is why adults are known as demons. They know only how to steal and to kill...but we kids are free of such hardships." Erica said as she punched Megumi one final time.

Megumi's left cheek showed a terrible shade of purple as blood streamed from her mouth. "M-Mommy...no...not on her…"

Erica smiled as she pulled the trembling girl into a hug, "There, there, Megumi. Erica won't be that terrible word. The only kindness your heart can take is abusive kindness."

Megumi's sobs turned silent, "...Th-Thank you...E-Erica...I won't...ever question you again...never ever, ever, ever, ever!"

"Hehe, Erica knows Megumi won't." Erica said with a smile before she whispered in her ear, "But Erica is afraid Cheren, Jotaro, and Daimon are planning to be that word."

"...Is...that…" Megumi stopped herself since she promised not to question Erica, "If you say that they will….then I'll have to stop them!"

"Megumi know what she must do, right?" Erica asked as her green eyes flashed with evil intent glittering inside them, "Kill them. Kill all the adults and Daimon, then come back and kill Cheren and Jotaro in their sleep."

"...Yes...I will. It's not like I cared about them to begin with." Megumi said with a cold tone, "I'm only killing adults...because...my mom needs to find peace!"

"That's right, Megumi," Erica said, "Your mother will be very proud of you." Erica said as she watched Megumi turn to leave, "Megumi needs to do her best~" She cheered.

"You can count on me, Erica! I won't fail!" Megumi declared as she left the mansion.

"Ufufufu...foolish kids." Erica whispered, "All I have to do is say one certain word for each of them so they wouldn't question my every word. None of them have realized that I've been sending them to their deaths thanks to our "game". Once Megumi fails to kill the pirate crew, I'll have accomplished my goal at last and be rid of all of them like the garbage they are. Ufufu, they say don't trust adults, yet they're trusting the child selling them out. Ufufufu..."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"That's all I know," Daimon said finishing his story.

"Wow...is all really happen to you kids?" Carl asked.

"He's not lying," Sakuya said, "He told the same story of his abusive mother to me when I fought against him."

"And Jotaro's face was really messed up just like he said," Ackmor said, "What kind of parent would burn their own child because they were jealous of how pretty he was?"

"The same kinds of parents Cheren had," Kaisetsu said, "The ones who forcibly kept him awake with drugs. I can't believe such bastards breathe the same air as us!"

"...About the girl," Yoshino said through Momo, "Is it true? Was her mother really killed?"

"Yes, at least, that's what Megumi told me," Daimon said. "Out of all of us, Megumi was the only one who didn't have horrible parents. Despite that, she still thinks adults are demons because of what happened to her mother."

"...I see…" Yoshino said through Momo as he couldn't help but remember his own mother. He held his hand over his heart shivering at the pain in his heart.

"Hold on," Kaji said, "The only one who didn't have horrible parents? But Erica and I had loving parents too."

"She did?" Daimon asked.

"Yes, well, Erica never met our father, but our mother was a kind woman who loved us so dearly." Kaji said.

"That's not what Erica told us," Daimon said.

"What?!" Kaji asked in shock.

"Erica told us that her parents were the worst parents in the world," Daimon said, "She said she would rather eat dirt than spend another second with them. That's why she hates adults."

"Okay, this Erica is all kinds of messed up," Belle said, "How could a child hate their parents even though the parents love them?"

"Erica…" Kaji said.

"Okay, so we have four abused kids and a fucked up one," Carl said, "How are we going to handle this problem."

"Well we're obviously not going to kill them," Ackmor said.

"Yeah, but Erica deserves a giant beating when I get my hands on her," Belle said.

"Belle, don't go jumping to conclusions," Sakuya said. "If Erica said she hated her loving mother then that must mean that she is under some kind of manipulation like Yoshino-kun said."

"That's right," Kaji said, "I don't plan on giving up on my sister. Before anyone can lay a hand on her, I need to confront her myself."

"A noble sentiment, Kaji," Kaisetsu said, "But are you sure you want to do this? This is the girl who turned this industrial island into a wasteland. If Erica really didn't love her own mother, what makes you think she'll hesitate to kill you?"

"I'm not expecting myself to survive when I talk to Erica," Kaji said, "But I have to know the truth. I've had enough of hearing that my sister did this awful thing and did that horrible thing. I want to hear it from Erica herself if she really planned all of this without remorse."

"I see," Belle said, "Well in that case I guess now we're gonna bust into Towa Tower to find Erica again."

"Only if its that easy," Ackmor said, "You saw how electrified that front gate was. One touch would turn you into a home-cooked meal."

"Oooh~! Home-cooked meat~!" Belle said drooling from the thought of meat.

"Aaaand I shouldn't have made that comparison," Ackmor said facepalming.

"Did you say that the gate was electrocuted?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

"Yeah," Kaisetsu said, "All thanks to Cheren and his little Bankerite Gem."

"Well say no more," Momo said, "Momo is an expert in this type of stuff."

"You are?" Carl asked.

" **Yes, Momo can't explain why, but Momo has the ability to conduct electricity and induce it,"** Momo said.

"Really?" Sakuya asked.

" **Yep, with this power, Momo can suck all the lightning out of anything and use it to add power to Yoshino's arrows,"** Momo said.

"Wow! That's so cool~!" Belle shouted, "I am _so_ gonna be there to see that!"

"So you'll be able to take away all the electricity from the gate?" Kaji asked.

" **Sure can,"** Momo said. " **It'll take a few minutes, but Momo can do it with ease."**

"Sheesh, you can talk, conduct lightning, and power up arrows with lightning," Ackmor said, "What kind of puppet are you?"

" **MOMO IS NOT A PUPPET, DUMMY ANDROID! CALL MOMO THAT AGAIN AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS!"** Momo shouted viciously at the sound of his taboo word.

"...So...what about me?" Daimon asked.

"Well, we don't want you warning your friends that we're coming, so you'll stay here, I guess," Kaisetsu said.

"Unless you wanna help us?" Belle asked.

"Help you?" Daimon asked.

"A wonderful suggestion," Sakuya said, "Daimon, maybe you could talk to your friends and get them to see that we want to help them."

"Me?" Daimon asked.

"Yeah, out of all of us, you are the one who is the closest to them," Ackmor said, "We might have been able to stop them from attacking us, but it might not work again. You'll be our best way to get through to them and help them."

"Not only will you be helping us, but everyone else on this island," Yoshino said through Momo, "Will you be willing to help these people out? They want all of the killing, the sadness, and the pain to stop."

"...But what about my friends?" Daimon asked, "What if they don't listen to me?"

"I have a feeling that they will, Daimon." Kaji said, "They're kids whose hearts have been twisted because of the actions of people who were suppose to keep them safe. Once we prove that we're not like those people, they'll come to at least accept us with time."

"So? What do you say?" Belle asked.

Daimon slowly looked at everyone before he began to think about the offer. He would have easily declined the offer if he hadn't met Sakuya and had his hurting heart mended. If he could have his own pain be driven away by Sakuya's words, then maybe the same could help his friends, "I…"

Daimon couldn't finish before a guard came rushing into the infirmary tent, "Mr. Towa, scouts are reporting movement in the sewers."

"They found us?" Kaji asked in shock. "That shouldn't have been possible…"

"Someone must have seen us entering the sewers," Kaisetsu said.

"They're not going to give us time to rest, are they?" Ackmor asked.

"It doesn't matter because we can handle anything they throw at us," Sakuya said before she blushed, "Did I look cool saying that, Ackmor-kun, Yoshino-kun?"

"Now's not the time, Sakuya," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Heh, your siren friend is such an odd one," Carl said.

"Can we get back to the problem already? If they're planning to attack us, we've got to stop them before they reach this place," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Alright, then that'll be the plan," Belle said.

"Plan?" Carl asked.

"Oh boy…" Kaisetsu said as she facepalmed, "Who's gonna almost get killed this time, Belle?"

"This time?" Ackmor asked.

"Hey, my plans do not get people almost killed!" Belle shouted. "Besides, I have absolute faith in all of you. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"She's not wrong," Sakuya said, "So, what is this elaborate plan of yours?"

"Shishi, you'll love it, but we're gonna need your help to pull it off, Towa Guy, Daimon," Belle said.

"Me?" Kaji asked.

"Me too?" Daimon asked.

"Yep," Belle said with a smile.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Hana was outside the backside of the wall that surrounded Towa island searching for a weakness in the electrocuted gate, but found nothing. She thought of climbing over the wall, but it was a lot bigger than she had anticipated.

"Well, only one option left," She said as she raised the worn out sword and made a quick triangle-shaped cut sharp enough to carve herself an entrance through the wall; however, doing this caused the sword she had to shatter into pieces. The girl shrugged as she threw the sheath away, "I've gotta find my sword. Where did those kids put my things?" She asked as she entered the building and began to search around quietly.

Eventually, she reached a room and entered it. Inside, she found her equipment, swords, and items locked behind a cell, "There they are."

"There who is?" A familiar voice asked from behind the cell as a figure stepped out revealing to be Ibuki.

"Ibuki," Hana said.

"Hiya, Hana," Ibuki said, "Did you enjoy the fun game my masters set up for you? Exhilarating, isn't it?"

"Hell no, it isn't," Hana said, "People got killed by those kids and you were a part of it. Give me my swords and equipment or else."

"Oooh, such spice in that tongue," Ibuki said with a giggle, "Do you talk to your mother with that mouth?"

"Shut up, I only talk like this to criminals like you," Hana said, "Once I get my sword, I'm going to free this island and send you and the Warriors of Hope behind bars."

"KiuKiuKiu," Ibuki laughed, "I'm already behind bars, Hana. You wanna join?"

"Don't mess with me," Hana said growling.

"Anyways, give me a good reason why I should give you your swords," Ibuki said, "You'll just leave little old me here without any food."

Hana glared daggers at the smiling woman, "I will give you one last warning. Give me my swords or I will come in there and kill you with them myself!"

"Well...will you be able to kill me before he kills you?" Ibuki asked.

"He?" Hana asked wondering what the girl was talking about.

"Ibuki, why are you talking so casually to a nobody?" A male voice asked making Hana turn around to see that it was none other than Kadiri standing in front of her.

"Kadi~!" Ibuki cheered.

"I told you to stop calling me that," Kadiri said giving her a glare.

"Aw...you're no fun," Ibuki said while pouting.

"Who are you," Hana asked.

"My name is of no importance to you," Kadiri said as he drew out a black blade that had a dark red aura around it, "Step aside."

"That blade…" Hana said as she stared at Kadiri's sword, "Is that the Dyaus Pita sword? Are you...Dracule Kadiri? The Dracule Kadiri?!"

"The one and only~!" Ibuki said.

 _"I've heard stories about a prodigy of Dracule Mihawk who has the powers of an actual demon,"_ Hana thought, _"But he mysteriously disappeared 10 years ago. What is he doing here now?"_

"Enough talking," Kadiri said, "I came here to bring my crewmate back with me. I will not warn you again. If you get in my way, I won't hesitate to kill you."

"I won't allow this criminal to escape from the Marines," Hana said, "Ibuki is going to be charged for aiding in the destruction of Towa Island along with the Warriors of Hope."

Kadiri said nothing as he opened his palm and suddenly a red electrical sphere formed on it.

"Uh oh," Ibuki said as she ducked for cover.

"What the hell?" Hana asked.

"Howl of the Savage King," Kadiri said as he shot the electrical sphere at Hana and watched as it exploded causing Towa Tower to shake a bit.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"What was that?" Jotaro asked as he snapped wide awake at the sound of the explosion.

"You heard it too, then," Cheren said sitting next to the door.

"Cheren? You didn't get any sleep?" Jotaro asked.

"No...I couldn't sleep," Cheren said, "I'll go check out what's happened. Stay here, okay?"

"Cheren, no," Jotaro said trying to get out of bed, but Cheren stopped him.

"Hey, I said I would just check it out, not get into another fight," Cheren said, "I'll be right back. Promise." He said before he took his sword and dashed out the room.

"Cheren, wait!" Jotaro shouted. _"...What if it's Zed?"_ He thought.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Yeesh, Kadi," Ibuki said hovering over Hana's unconscious body as she got out of her broken prison cell, "Did you really have to use that attack on her?"

"I gave her two fair warnings," Kadiri said, "Not my fault she decided to act like the rest of her fellow incompetent marines. I should kill her now and be rid my memories of this trash."

"Do that and you'll have an angry mamma Vice Admiral after us," Ibuki said, "What was her name? Vice Admiral Takashi or something weird like that?"

"It doesn't matter to me who my next opponent will be," Kadiri said, "They can be a Vice Admiral for all I care."

"Yeah, but what would good ol' Zenith think about your actions," Ibuki said, "Weren't you ordered to kill the kids and bring me back?"

"Only to kill the kids,' Kadiri said, "You are a bonus objective."

"Ouch, it's as if you don't love good little me," Ibuki said.

"Shut up, why don't you want me to kill this girl?" Kadiri asked.

"Come on, think about this for a full second," Ibuki said, "If we let her live, then we will have established a presence in the Four Blues outside the Grandline through her. That presence will grow through Yoshino once the truth comes out of that silent little head of his. The people will fear us in the Four Blues forcing the Marines to send in extra ships and armadas to protect it from us while we're doing business in the Grandline."

"The marines send in the bulk of their ships to the Four Blues and our operations in the Grandline run more smoothly," Kadiri said, "I hate to admit it, but that's the first actual good plan you've come up with, Ibuki."

"Kiukiukiu, I love it when you compliment me like that. Gimme a hug~!" Ibuki said wanting a hug.

"No," Kadiri said as he walked away.

"Aw...party pooper…" Ibuki said while pouting and walking with him leaving Hana alone and unconscious.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Do we have everything?" Kaisetsu asked as she stared at the sacks full of nothing but peanuts.

"Yep," Carl said, "Now...how exactly are we going to use these peanuts?"

"And are they even going to work?" Sakuya asked.

"Well...that's something I was hoping you guys would know," Belle said scratching her head.

"Great...our plan of fighting off hordes of elephants relies on a half-assed plan," Yoshino said through Momo.

"We're doomed," Momo said.

"Hey cheer up, guys," Belle said, "Even if my peanut plan doesn't work, we can just knock those elephants' faces into snap them into their senses."

"Yeah, it's not like the elephants will try to grab us with their trunks and squash us into paste," Ackmor said sarcastically.

"That's what we have Yoshi for," Belle said.

"She has a point," Yoshino said through Momo, "As long as I have my bow and a good vantage point, those elephants won't be a problem for me."

"You've all fought Towa's elephants?" Kaji asked.

"Yep, it was easy peasy," Belle said, "Once we figured out that those devices on their heads were the controllers, we simply knocked them off."

"Y-You did?" Kaji asked in shock.

"Of course," Kaisetsu said, "Is that a surprise to you?"

"Yeah, those devices have locks in placed on them," Kaji said, "When we tried to get them off the elephants, they didn't budge an inch."

"I can vouch for that," Daimon said, "Erica herself said that no one but herself could get those things off."

"Huh, well it sure was easy for us," Sakuya said, "Goes to show how strong we are!"

"It's weird to see you act cocky, Sakuya," Kaisetsu said, "I've lifted objects heavier than those things."

" _Just how strong are these people…?"_ Kaji thought, " _Aren't they just teenagers?"_

"Hm...I wonder if I'll grow to be that strong…" Daimon though aimlessly.

"Hey, are you two alright in there?" Carl asked getting both of their attention, "We won't be able to pull this off without both of you." He said before we watched the two exchange looks and then nod to each other.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Okay so let me repeat your plan just so I fully understand it," Ackmor said as the group ventured through the sewers with packs of peanuts resting on their backs, "We're to make our way outside with these peanuts, lay them all on the ground for the elephants, and hope they love them to death and get distracted so we could reach Towa Tower, is that right?"

"Wow, Acky, it's such a simple plan," Belle said, "How do you not already understand it by now?"

"You're the _last_ person I want lecturing me about understanding dumb concepts!" Ackmor said. "Excuse me for pointing out the major flaw in your plan: The fact that the elephants might NOT eat the peanuts or maybe ALL of them won't eat the peanuts."

"Acky, chillax," Belle said, "Don't make me activate my Devil Fruit to cool that fire in you down. It'll be alright. If my plan doesn't work, we'll just compensate and make it to Towa Tower anyways."

"The goal is to make it to the gate with me, anyways," Yoshino said through Momo, "You have to learn how to just roll with things no matter how dumb they are."

"Oh, Yoshino-kun is such a quick learner~!" Sakuya squealed with heart shaped eyes, "Does your perfection know no bounds?"

"More like does your annoying flirting know no ends?" Kaisetsu asked sarcastically.

"My, you seem to always have something to say about my undying love for my princess," Sakuya said, "What about your love then, swordswoman?"

"Why don't you mind your own damn business?" Kaisetsu said, "Unlike you, I don't parade around with everything in my life."

"Alright, alright, let's not turn this into another kitty fight," Belle said turning around. "We still have a ways to go before we're out of these sewers."

" **You sure you know which way you're going, Belle?"** Momo asked.

"Positive," Belle said, "I mean, Acky, Sakuya, Hana and I ventured out and then back in these sewers. We know them like the back of our hands now."

"Oh, such boastful words~!" Said a voice, "Too bad you'll know these sewers as your graveyard!"

"Belle, watch out!" Ackmor shouted as he rushed in front of Belle taking a heavy slash attack from a flurry of sakura petals. Ackmor felt blood dripping from the abdomen wound that he held.

"Acky!" Belle shouted as she rushed to look at his wound, "We need to get this patched up, quick."

"It's you," Kaisetsu said as she identified the pink girl being Megumi again.

"Didn't take me long to find you demons hiding in here like the rats you are," Megumi said venomously, "If you have any last prayers, you better do them now!"

"Hold on, none of us wants to fight you," Kaji said, "We...well...I need to talk to Erica. She's my sister and I need to know why she would do all of this."

Megumi became red with rage as sakura petals formed around her, "You think I'm stupid like Jotaro and Cheren?! I'm not going to let any of you take another step towards Erica!"

"Stop it, Megumi!" Daimon shouted as he fazed through the group to be in front of them to confront Megumi.

"Long time no see, traitor!" Megumi shouted as she sent another stream of pink petals towards him.

Sakuya grabbed Daimon when she saw a stream of pink petals flying towards him and jumped out of the way. "What do you think you're doing?! Isn't Daimon suppose to be your friend?!"

"Friend?! Not any more!" Megumi replied angrily, "You thought you were able to fool Erica, didn't you Daimon?! You thought you could turn traitor and not expect us to notice! Well the jig is up! I'm going to kill you along with all the demons as ordered by Erica!"

Daimon was shaking in Sakuya's arms. "I'm not a traitor! These adults...they want to help us!"

"What?" Megumi asked.

"That's the truth," Ackmor said, "The people you kids are apparently working for are planning on killing you."

"And that's why we need to get to Erica and warn her," Kaji said. "We really want to help you but only if you let us."

"Shut the hell up!" Megumi shouted angrily, "All demons are liars and deceivers! They say such pretty words and then turn around tear you down! I hate them! I hate every demon out there!"

"Megumi...what's wrong with you," Daimon asked, "You always listen to me better than this."

"I am ashamed of you, Daimon," Megumi said, "Did you forget who took us in when we were all thrown away like trash?! Did you forget the one person who saved us from our pain?! It wasn't these demons! It was Erica! To say that she's been using us is like spitting at your own mother's face!"

Daimon eyes harden up. "You know I hate my mother so of course I spit in her face! She was an evil person who never loved me. Ms. Sakuya showed me true kindness!"

"That's not my point! Erica is our new mother and always will be!" Megumi shouted.

"I don't know who this Erica person is, but if she's causing all of you kids to hurt not only innocent people but also each other, there's no way I'd call someone like her my mother," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Who are you to tell us how we should treat people who were actually kind to us," Megumi asked.

"What kind of mother would even send a child to fight? My mother hated it when I went out on hunts for my island," Yoshino said through Momo, "Just from listening to everyone, Erica sounds like a horrible person to have as even a friend, let alone a mother. A real mother is supposed to be someone who is loving, kind and gentle."

"Yeah! You tell her, Yoshi!" Belle cheered.

The color in Megumi's eyes instantaneously vanished when she heard the word, "G-Gentle…?"

Sakuya caught the change in expression in the girl's eyes, "Oh no…"

Megumi started trembling and crying, "N-NOOOO! A-Anything! A-Anything but that! Pl-Please! Don't…! N-Not! Gentle! Not on her!" She screamed as she clenched her head in pain.

Everyone stared at the girl in shock, "What the hell?" Carl asked.

"It's happening again," Kaisetsu said.

"What? But what did I even say?" Yoshino asked through Momo, "Not one of those words were anything remotely bad."

Daimon looked scared. "Oh no...you said the g-word. Megumi hates the g-word."

"Wait, gentle?" Yoshino asked through Momo.

Megumi tensed up when she heard the word again, "N-No! Stop! Please! Not gentle! P-Please...I'm begging you!"

"Stop it!" Daimon shouted, "Don't ever say that word again!"

"What's the big deal though? Isn't it supposed to be a positive word?" Belle asked.

"Not in the way Megumi's experienced it." Daimon said.

"What do you mean?" Sakuya asked.

"Megumi isn't like me," Daimon said, "Jotaro, Cheren, Erica, and I hated our parents, but Megumi didn't. She loved her parents as they loved her. We were really jealous of her, but...an adult killed her mother right in front of her."

"What?!" Kaji asked.

"Killed...her mother…" Yoshino said through Momo as he began to breathe heavily from the amount of anger building up inside him.

 **"Yoshino, please calm down,"** Momo said noticing his partner's anger level rising.

"What kind of person would do something so horrible?" Ackmor asked.

"So she hates adults because one killed her mother," Sakuya asked, "What kind of world are we living in…?"

"P-Please...d-don't...b-b-be g-gentle!" Megumi screamed as tears fell down from her eyes.

Yoshino felt his own heart ache watching the suffering girl. Her cries of pain reminded him of someone he held dear. An image of a little girl with blue hair popped into his head and his heart broke worse. "I can't stand this...watching a little girl suffer like this…" He muttered as he slowly approached the shaking girl.

"Yoshino, what are you doing? She's emotionally unstable!" Carl warned, "Who knows what she might do!"

"If I don't help her, no one will!" Yoshino shouted, "I can't stand seeing people suffer like this especially a girl." He said.

"Yoshino-kun," Sakuya said.

When Megumi returned to her senses, she saw Yoshino slowly approaching her and went on the defensive, "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" She screamed as she sent a flurry of petals at him.

"Yoshino!" Carl shouted as he quickly got in front of Yoshino and blocked the attack with his sword.

"Carl…" Yoshino said through Momo.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Carl asked, "If you're gonna wander aimlessly towards a dangerous girl, at least warn me."

"...Sorry…" Yoshino said through Momo.

"Guys," Carl said turning to the group, "You all go on ahead. Yoshino and I will try our hardest to get this girl to calm down."

"Are you sure?" Belle asked, "Judging from what I've seen, this girl seems to be a devil fruit user."

"Well thanks for the warning," Carl said, "But we can handle a devil fruit, especially if it belongs to a child."

"Even so, don't underestimate her." Ackmor said wincing at the pain from his wound, "I made that mistake fighting Jotaro."

"What about Yoshino, though?" Belle asked, "We're going to need him once we get to the gates."

"I'll hurry this up, guys," Yoshino said through Momo, "I'll meet up with you at the gates."

"I hope you do," Ackmor said, "We'll be dead to those elephants if you take too long."

"I know what's at stake," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Daimon, are you going to stay too?" Sakuya asked.

"Yeah...Megumi's my friend and I can tell that something is wrong with her," Daimon said, "She never acts this violent."

"Alright, but be careful," Sakuya said turning to Yoshino, "Take care of him, Yoshino-kun."

"Got it," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Let's go," Kaji said as the group went on ahead.

"None of you are getting away from me!" Megumi shouted as she sent another flurry of sakura petals at them, but Yoshino shot every single one down with his arrows.

"No, Megumi," Yoshino said through Momo, "If you're gonna hurt my friends, you'll have to get through us."

"Get the hell out of my way!" Megumi shouted.

"Not a chance, girl," Carl said, "First we're gonna solve this little issue you're having. Don't worry, we're not going to hurt you."

"Good, then I can hurt you as much as I want to," Megumi shouted as she summoned more sakura petals, "You're no match for my Sakura Sakura fruit. I'll turn all three of you into sushi!"

"Sounds tasty, but I don't feel like being turned into food," Carl said as he blocked the sakura slashes.

"Carl…" Yoshino said annoyed at Carl's bad attempt at wit.

"Oops, sorry," Carl said, "Forgot you were a vegetarian."

Megumi growled as she summoned more sakura petals, "Cherry-Colored Downpour!" She shouted as she covered the entire sewer with undodgeable petal flurries.

"We have no room to maneuver," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Hang on!" Daimon shouted as he latched himself onto both of them. "Triple Phase!" He shouted as the three bodies suddenly became transparent and the sakura petals just went through them without inflicting any wounds.

"Whoa, what the hell was that?" Carl asked as they went back to normal when Megumi's attack was done.

"That was...my Phase Phase fruit," Daimon said panting a bit, "Not only can I phase through things but also turn others so they could phase through stuff, but I can't do that all the time."

"Damn you, Daimon," Megumi growled.

"Well thanks for the save, kid," Carl said as he turned to Yoshino, "So...how are we gonna calm this kid down without hurting her?"

"Just let me do the talking," Yoshino said through Momo, "If she does something, be sure to block it, okay?"

"Sure, I mean you're pretty much defenseless with just a bow for blocking," Carl said.

"I mean block it for Daimon," Yoshino said through Momo.

"What?!" Carl asked in shock.

 **"Yoshino, are you crazy?!"** Momo shouted.

"You _are_ crazy," Daimon shouted, "Megumi's sakura petals are as sharp as a knife. She wasn't kidding about turning you into sushi!"

"No...this girl is angry, so I'll face that anger," Yoshino said through Momo, "The same way I faced Luka whenever she got angry with me."

"Luka?" Carl asked realizing what Yoshino plans to do, "Listen, Yoshino, that girl is not the same as Luka. She is going to KILL you!"

" **Please listen to him, Yoshino,"** Momo pleaded, " **Momo knows we're trying to calm her down but it's not worth risking your life over."**

"Heh," Yoshino chuckled, "You're wrong. Seeing the face of a happy girl is definitely worth a life. My life, at least."

"Yoshino…" Carl said.

"Watch over Daimon," Yoshino said through Momo, "If I die to this girl, it won't be until she smiles again."

"Hahahaha, what in the world is wrong with you now, demon," Megumi laughed, "You'll die making me smile? While you are right about me smiling, it'll only be after you die! Sakura Dance!" She shouted as sakura petals surrounded Yoshino rapidly cutting him up.

Yoshino covered his face to prevent any cuts from reaching his face.

"Yoshino, just let me-"

"I told you to stay back," Yoshino said through Momo wincing in pain.

"Just to be clear, you're only doing this to yourself," Megumi said, "Giving me a free kill isn't going to help anyone but Erica and me."

"Erica and you? Or maybe just Erica," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Tch, you're still gonna badmouth Erica, huh? Well another insult to her is another thousand cuts to your body," Megumi said.

"Tell me. If Erica really cared about you as a mother does, why would she send you down here all alone," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Because she has faith that I can kill all of you," Megumi said getting annoyed by the questions.

"No...Erica doesn't care about you or your friends," Yoshino said through Momo, "She just wants us gone and will sacrifice anyone for it to happen. No one does that kind of stuff, especially mothers."

"Sh-shut up! Shut the hell up," Megumi screamed angrily, "What do you know about mothers anyway?! Don't talk like you know anything about my mother!"

"You're right, I don't know your mother," Yoshino said through Momo, "But, if you don't hate her like Daimon says, then she must have been a loving mother to you. Am I right about that?!"

"...Wh-what's your point," Megumi said backing up a bit.

"My point is this: Would your mother want you to hurt others? Send you alone on the battlefield," Yoshino asked through Momo.

Megumi had reached the breaking point as she went red with anger, "Yes she would! After what happened to her, adults deserve nothing less than a torture before death which I will give to you for daring to ask that question!" She shouted as sakura petals appeared around Yoshino.

Yoshino slowly pulled on his Fujin Yumi making a blue bow appear, "Scatter Arrow," He said as he shot the arrow towards the ground. Once it hit the ground, it shattered and turned into a countless number of tiny arrows that hit and destroyed each sakura petal.

"What?" Megumi asked.

"I'm not going to fight you, Megumi, but I damn well am going to survive long enough to get my points across to you," Yoshino said through Momo.

"You've already got your point across," Megumi said, "That you just want to brainwash me like that elf-eared witch did to Daimon!"

"That's enough, Megumi," Daimon shouted, "Sakuya saved my life and was so kind to me. She's nothing like a witch."

"Leave Sakuya out of this," Yoshino said through Momo, "This is only between you and me. Tell me, if you want to get rid of all the demons to make children happy, what if those same demons are mothers who are just as kind as yours?"

"What kind of question is that?" Megumi asked, "Stop it with all dumb questions and just fight!"

"You dodging that one question is telling me that I got you with it," Yoshino said through Momo with a smirk.

"You didn't get me with anything!" Megumi shouted as sakura petals surrounded Yoshino, "DIE! Sakura Coffin!" She shouted.

Before the sakura petals had a chance to crush him, Yoshino tried to jump out of the way, but the sakura petals behind him were able to hit his back, "Ah!"

"Yoshino!" Carl shouted.

Yoshino had trouble moving his body due to his back being severely wounded and could only watch as Megumi slowly approached him. Slowly managed to stand back up with the help of his bow, but was met with a sakura dagger at his throat.

"Any last words, demon?" Megumi asked.

Yoshino smirked before he said, "You know...you look kinda cute since you had to be on your tippy toes to reach my neck."

Megumi suddenly lost composure and blushed a bit, "H-How dare you talk about my height! I'm the tallest person in the Warriors of Hope, I'll have you know!"

"Got you," Yoshino said through Momo as he suddenly stabbed Megumi with a Fujin Yumi arrow.

"Wha…?!" Megumi shouted in shock.

"Megumi!" Daimon shouted.

"What the hell, Yoshino?" Carl asked, "I thought the object was to not hurt the kids."

"Hehe, Carl did you forget about the Fujin Yumi?" Yoshino asked through Momo. "I know I explained it to you once, but…"

"I'm...not feeling it," Megumi said getting both confused and scared, "It doesn't hurt at all, but...I can't...move."

"That's because I didn't stab your body," Yoshino said through Momo, "I stabbed your soul."

"Stabbed her soul?" Daimon asked.

"People may not think of it much, but the human soul is an important part of the human body," Yoshino said though Momo, "If is tampered with, the human body ceases to function even with the brain in tact. The soul is basically the very thing keeping everything in the human body stable. By stabbing a soul with the Fujin Yumi's arrow, I can stop a person's movement completely without harming them."

"What? Then how do you explain the fact that the Fujin Yumi can kill people?" Carl asked.

"Simple. The Fujin Yumi has two forms: Arrow Form and Soul Form. Arrow form is the form I use to actually inflict physical damage while Soul Form is for when I need to stop my enemies without killing them." Yoshino explained through Momo as he looked at the Fujin Yumi, "Only someone who's mastered the Fujin Yumi can use this technique."

"Wow, so was that what Old Man Hayu taught you?" Carl asked, "That's pretty cool."

"..." Yoshino didn't want to say anything further fearing that he might tell more than he wanted.

"Well...what are you waiting for?" Megumi asked getting Yoshino's attention, "Kill me!"

"No, I'm not going to do that," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Are you going to instead waste time lecturing me about nonsense?" Megumi asked, "I'm not listening to another damn word you say!"

"I know. That's why I'm not going to say anything more," Yoshino said through Momo.

"Huh?" Megumi asked.

"Wait...then what will you do?" Daimon asked.

Yoshino smiled, "I'm instead going to show you." He said through Momo.

"Show?" Megumi asked.

 **"Um...Yoshino, please don't tell Momo that we're doing...that,"** Momo said.

"We sure are, Momo," Yoshino said through Momo.

 **"But we didn't really test it on other people,"** Momo said.

"Yeah, but animals aren't like humans so…" Yoshino said through Momo.

"What do you think this is? A joke?!" Megumi shouted.

"Nope," Yoshino said through Momo as he took another Fujin Yumi arrow in his hand, "Call it...a trip down memory lane." He said as he stabbed himself with the arrow.

"Yoshino!" Carl shouted.

"Give me a sec, will ya'?" Yoshino asked through Momo, "I'm going to show Megumi a bit of my childhood."

"Your...what?" Megumi asked confused as to what he was talking about.

"This here, is what makes the Fujin Yumi special," Yoshino said through Momo, "It can connect two souls together to do many things. One of them is the exchange of memories."

"Memory exchanging?" Carl asked.

"What? Why? What do I care about your dumb memories?!" Megumi asked.

"You should care, Megumi," Yoshino said through Momo, "Because you're about to see the kinds of adults you want gone in this world. The kind of mothers Erica wants gone...my mother…" He said before he began to share his memories from his life as a little boy.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

 _10 years ago in the Elk Forest on Aroma Island, a lone boy was venturing through the wooded area with a bow in hand. When he had heard that the town had run low on meat, Yoshino decided to pick up his training bow and head to the Elk Forest to hunt some elk._

 _"They should be around here somewhere…" Yoshino said as he searched around until he spotted a lone elk eating on the grass. "Ahah," He whispered as he silently snuck into a bush to avoid detection. "Alright, Yoshino, draw in…" He whispered as he drew the arrow on his bow, "Inhale and exhale, aaaaaaand...fire." The arrow was shot out of the bush and hit its target straight through the neck killing it in an instant. "Bullseye!"_

 _The boy leapt from the bushes towards his kill. He knelt down and clapped his hands together, "I am deeply sorry, peaceful animal. By the will of survival, you life had to reach a tragic end, but don't worry. You'll help keep a lot of people happy because now they'll have food."_

 _However, before the boy could bring his kill back to town, he heard a deep growling sound from behind. When he turned around, he saw a growling tiger slowly walking towards him._

 _"Hey there, girl," Yoshino said cautiously as he pulled out the arrow from the elk, "You see easy food, don't ya? Well too bad. You have to earn your kills." When he saw that the tiger was getting closer, he readied himself to fire another shot, "Not another step, you hear me? This elk is for the town, not you! Go find your own elk!"_

 _But the tiger did not listen and instead chose to attack Yoshino without fear. Yoshino was already prepared to fire and only had to let go; however, the moment he did, the very next second he found himself on top of a tree, "What the?!" He saw that his arrow had missed and the tiger looked like it was searching for him._

 _"Why did I have the feeling you would be out here, Yoshino?" A womanly voice asked._

 _Yoshino looked up beside him and saw a brown haired woman with brown eyes that also had a pink eyeshadow on the top. Her hair was tied into a high ponytail by a white ribbon. Her current outfit consisted of a black skin-tight jumpsuit, pink armor plates made of parts that looked to belong to dangerous monsters, and a red sash around her waist to carry her short sword. On her back was the Fujin Yumi._

 _This woman's name is Sango Hoshida, Yoshino's mother. Not much is known about her outside of her job as a beast hunter who is skilled with wielding several weapons, one in particular, being the Fujin Yumi. Although Yoshino would say that his mother is kind and gentle, he forgets to talk about moments when Sango...isn't happy._

 _Yoshino sighed before he said, "Hey….Mom…"_

 _"Hello, Yoshino," Sango replied. Followed by her reply was complete, awkard silence._

 _"So...um...are we gonna do something about the tiger...or…" Yoshino asked trying his hardest to focus on something else, that being the tiger that is dragging the dead elk away._

 _"No," Sango said, "No we aren't."_

 _"But he's going to get away with everyone's food!" Yoshino shouted._

 _"Yeah, but which do you think is more important to me here, Yoshino?" Sango asked, "A big ol' tiger who stole a boy's kill? Or said boy who ventured off into the woods alone to hunt despite the fact that his own MOTHER SPECIFICALLY TOLD HIM NOT TO!" She ended with an ear-rupturing yell as she glared at the boy._

 _Yoshino covered his ears due to how loud his mother ways, "Okay...I'm sorry, Mom...I just wanted to use the bow for once. What's the point of learning if you don't actually put what you've learned onto the field?"_

 _Sango let out an annoyed sigh, "Your grandfather and I explained this to you a thousand times. Learning to hunt is not the same as learning to play a game. You have to have other people there with you to evaluate your progress. What's the point of learning something if you don't have people there to tell you what you're doing wrong?"_

 _"Ugh, not that nonsense that old geezer likes to spew!" Yoshino groaned._

 _"Yoshino Hoshida, that old geezer is your grandfather and you will treat him with respect!" His mother shouted._

 _"Oh yeah? Or else what?" Yoshino asked in a boastful tone but immediately regretted it when he saw the look of absolute anger on his mother's face. "Um...Mom…"_

 _"I know what I'm going to have for dinner tonight," His mother said as she pulled her son by the ear dragging him, "But first we need to have you apologize to your grandfather and then get your behind to your room where you are grounded._

 _"Listen, Mom! I didn't mean that!" Yoshino cried, "That was my boastful attitude talking. HAVE MERCY! PLEASE NOT **THAT** AGAIN! ANYTHING BUT **THAT**!"_

* * *

 **One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates Ending 1: Uso(Lie) [SID]**

 **Jurabi: Hello guys, I know I didn't have much to say in the beginning because well there wasn't much to say but now I do. I've been a bit busy reading other fanfics and stuff so that's why I didn't update quickly. Also, college for me is coming back around the corner so I'm not going to be on the computer as often soon.**

 **Now as for the chapter. I know that some of you may have a problem with what Yoshino did to Megumi and think it's a bit too convenient. I thought that too when I wrote it out.**

 **The problem is that as a concept, I really like this arc. I've been using the villains to actually bring out a side of our characters they normally will not show, but...for some reason I'm getting burnt out by it and now I might have unintentionally extended it by doing Yoshino's backstory now. I've been wanting to do it for a long time since it'll be the actual first backstory that will get it's own chapter.**

 **I'm sorry if I sound so burnt out but I just took an entire sleepless night doing this. I'm going to try my hardest to get done with this arc. Please, if you are getting tired of it, bear with me just a little longer. I really want to get into the next arc, but we have to be patient until then.**

 **Anyways, I really am glad that you enjoyed this chapter, if not let me know why in the reviews. If you really loved this story and would want more of it, please leave a favorite and a follow. Thank you for reading and I'll see you next chapter.**


	14. A Warm Smile, A Broken Heart

**Jurabi: Heeeelloooo~! This is Espada4Jurabi here with another chapter of One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates. Oh you guys have no idea how excited I am to do this backstory. You remember back when I was only showing little parts of a backstory? Well not anymore because when I get to a backstory, I'm showing you all the goods from everyone's perspective! I know that I am going slow with this, but I am finding my pace and I will end this arc at some point! Anyways, let's get into Yoshino's backstory...part 1.**

 _ **Previously on One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates…**_

 _ **"Is this going to be your thing? Just sneak in a snarky comment at any chance you get?" Ackmor asked.**_

 _ **"Well excuse Momo for trying to enjoy every moment when he actually talks for himself!" Momo shouted, "Did you forget that Momo is also Yoshino's voice?! Momo is talking constantly thanks to him. Do you know how bad Momo's voice gets every day?! Hell yes Momo is gonna find a snarky comment to make!"**_

 _ **And now...back to Oda-senpai's greatness.**_

* * *

 **A Warm Smile, A Broken Heart**

"Yoshino, your reckless actions brought nothing but disappointment upon yourself," Said an old man, known to everyone as Hayo Hoshida as he looked at Yoshino, who sat across from him on a pillow alongside Sango and a little blue-haired girl known as Luka, Yoshino's younger sister. Hayu wore a simple white robe that contrasted with his long grey beard. His eyes slightly white indicating that the man possessed blindness; yet, he did not need sight to stare directly at Yoshino with eyes of dissatisfaction. "Your mother and I clearly instructed you not to go anywhere near Elk Forest without our supervision."

Yoshino scoffed before he asked, "Don't you understand how annoying those orders are?"

"Yoshino," Sango said with a warning tone.

"Let him speak, Sango," Hayu said, "Problems on both sides cannot be solved if one is constantly silenced."

"I don't get it at all," Yoshino asked, "Aside from the wildlife, which I can handle on my own, why do you keep telling me not to go to Elk Forest? I understand the Insect Forest because of the poisonous insects, but why Elk Forest?"

Hayu let out a sigh knowing that his answer will anger the brash boy, "Young lad, it is only a matter of safety. You are only ten years old while your sister, Luka, is six. Sango is better suited to go out on dangerous hunts than you currently are. If you ever want to reach her level of mastery, you must be patient and allow your training to run smoothly."

"Training? You mean shooting perfect shots at imobile wooden circles all day?" Yoshino asked, "How can you call that training? I believe actually shooting at targets like elk would work a lot better than that old method." To that statement, there was a moment of silence from Hayu, to which Yoshino went on, "Well? Am I right?"

"...Still so young yet there is a lot more for you to learn," Hayu said coldly.

"What?" Yoshino asked.

"Yoshino, using a bow takes more than just aiming and taking a perfect shot," Sango said, "It requires the right focus, the right breathing, and the right stance to pull off a shot. Your shot on that elk indeed hit its mark, but your stance was absolutely horrible and you didn't even pay attention to the tiger hiding in the bushes."

"I-I…"

"And don't get me started on your stance when you faced said tiger," Sango said, "Your fear took over causing you to lose a steady breathing rhythm which, in turn, hampered your focus and stance. If I had not stopped you, you would have died."

"That is why those who seek the path of archery spend countless hours practicing and honing the skills they learned on training that you deem to be "boring" and not worthy of being called training," Hayu said, "If you keep that attitude up, Yoshino, Luka will have a better chance of wielding the Fujin Yumi instead of you."

Yoshino glared at the old man as he clenched his fists so tightly they shook. Such a sight concerned Luka since she knows that statement from Hayu felt more like an insult than a warning.

"You can talk down to me all you want, old man, but I draw the line at insulting my pride as a Hoshida," Yoshino shouted as he stood up, "If you want to sit there and come up with clever words to spit on me, then I'll let you do it behind my back since that's all you'll see from now on!" After yelling that furiously at Hayu, Yoshino stormed out of the dojo where he and his mother would train at.

"Y-Yoshino!" Luka shouted as she rushed after her older brother.

Sango could see Yoshino's frustration in his eyes after what Hayu said to him, "I am sorry, Master. Yoshino's attitude towards you was disrespectful and his punishment will be extended."

"No need, Sango," Hayu said as he took a sip of his tea, "I can see the fire inside of Yoshino even with my blind eyes. It reminds me so much of his own father's when he desired to wield the Fujin Yumi. Tell me, does Yoshino also look slightly like him."

"Why yes he does," Sango said with a smile, "Yoshino has become, dare I say, adorable."

Hayu let out a chuckle, "Then I am a lucky grandfather." A moment of silence passed before he asked, "Sango, why are you allowing Yoshino to pursue the path of wielding the Fujin Yumi?"

"It's because he's my child," Sango said, "He should be allowed to have a dream of his own."

"Yes, he has every right to desire such a powerful weapon," Hayu said before he became even more serious, "However, you remember how one can truly _acquire_ the Fujin Yumi, don't you?"

"...How could I ever forget…" Sango said, "But despite that, I want him to someday have that beautiful bow in his hands. I know he would never use such power as a weapon of evil. On the outside he may not seem like it, but Yoshino has a kind heart. So kind, in fact, that I know he'll deny the Fujin Yumi as soon as he learns the truth."

"You have a pure heart, Sango," Hayu said, "How I wish our ancestors shared your kindness…"

"So do I," Sango said as she stood up, "Thank you for your time, Master. Yoshino will get better, I swear it." She said before she left the dojo.

"He just needs time," Hayu said as he slowly stood up to look up at the Fujin Yumi, "He's not ready yet for the responsibility, but he will soon learn what it means to be the wielder of a legendary weapon."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"The nerve of that old geezer!" Yoshino growled as he marched down the streets of his home, Rose Village. "He always thinks he can talk to anyone the way he wants. What level of ego is that dried seaweed on?!"

"Yoshino! Wait!" Luka shouted as she caught up to Yoshino.

"Luka…" Yoshino said.

"Yoshino, why did you get mad at grandpapa?" Luka asked.

"You heard what grandpa said," Yoshino said, "He said you of all people could get the Fujin Yumi instead of me. He should have known better than to say that!"

"Am...am I a bother to you, then?" Luka asked feeling a bit hurt by what Yoshino had said.

Yoshino immediately regretted his words and knelt down, "No, no, Luka. It's not that at all."

"You know I can never touch that bow because I know that only your family can use it," Luka said, "I was only adopted by mommy."

"Hey, don't say that like it's a bad thing," Yoshino said, "Sure you're not my blood sister and I know that it troubles you, but you'll always be my little sister."

"You really mean that?" Luka asked.

Yoshino smiled as he patted Luka's head, "I speak from the heart, little sis."

Luka rubbed her head and smiled, "Thanks, Yoshino."

"Yoshino, Luka," Sango called as she caught up with them, "How many times do I have to tell you both not to run off like that?"

"Sorry, Mama," Luka said as Yoshino said nothing and crossed his arms in a pouty manner.

"Don't give me that look, Yoshino," Sango said, "Your grandfather was right to say those things to you. How else was he supposed to get his point across?"

"Even so, it doesn't give him the right to say that to my face and expect me to take it silently," Yoshino said. "That old man hasn't once picked up a bow, let alone the Fujin Yumi, and yet he talks like he knows everything about me. How can that _not_ tick someone off?!"

"Hayu talks like he knows everything because he _does_ know everything," Sango said, "He knows what it means to be an archer and he knows that you are not ready to become one. If he wanted to hand over the Fujin Yumi to you, he would have done so in a heartbeat, but how can he if you're so obsessed with surpassing him?"

"I…."

"Yoshino, you must stop thinking that you're not making any progress," Sango said, "Being strong isn't something that you can rush. Fear leads to an obsession with power and such two are not acceptable traits to the Fujin Yumi. Do you understand?"

"...Yes…" Yoshino said while sighing.

"More than anything, I want to make sure that you are ready for that bow," Sango said, "You are making progress, Yoshino. Don't feel like you aren't. It makes me feel like I've failed you somehow."

"N-no, you didn't, Mom," Yoshino said before he blushed and looked away, "Y-You're the reason why I even picked up a bow in the first place. S-so…"

"Aww...thanks sweetie," Sango said with a smile amused at how embarrassed Yoshino looked when he said that, "Well, I guess I'll lay off on the meat for tonight. Who's in the mood for some rice bean sprouts?"

"Really?! Rice bean sprouts?!" Yoshino asked as his mouth drooled.

"Hehe, careful big bro," Luka said, "You're drooling like a dog."

"What? I am not, Luka!" Yoshino shouted as he quickly wiped off the drool.

"Yes you were!" Luka said laughing hysterically, "Should I go buy a chew toy for you too?! Ooooh, can I also nickname you Yoshi?!"

"Luka…" Yoshino growled annoyed at his little sister teasing him while Sango couldn't help but let a giggle escape from her lips.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"And dinner's ready," Sango said as she handed Yoshino and Luka a bowl of rice bean sprouts made specially by her.

"It smells so good~!" Luka squealed.

"Thanks, Mom," Yoshino said, "You're like a magician with this stuff."

"Well when you're the mother of two heavy eaters, you end up picking up a lot of tricks," Sango said. "One of them is definitely cooking small portions of food that can feed an entire island."

"You know, you didn't have to just make this because of me," Yoshino said, "I may not accept the idea of eating animals, but I can...tolerate the sight of other people eating meat."

"I know, sweetie, but I think you being prohibited from listening to the radio den-den mushi for a week is enough of a punishment for you," Sango said.

"Wh-What?!" Yoshino asked in shock.

"Don't you agree, Luka," Sango asked her adopted daughter with a smile.

"Yeah," Luka said happily, "A whole week without hearing that loud radio in my room sounds like heaven to me."

"M-Mom, you can't take away my radio!" Yoshino shouted, "Not when we're in the middle of Archery season. How will I be able to survive without knowing if Ashe Freljord won the Archer's Tournament Semi-Finals tomorrow?!"

"Well...I guess you should have thought about that before being disobedient by going into Elk Forest alone," Sango said. "I even remembered the Archer's Tournament when I decided against eating meat in front of you, so I thought it a more fitting punishment for you."

"No, Mom, please!" Yoshino pleaded, "I've been following Miss Ashe for years! If I suddenly can't follow her in her 7th tournament and be there when she wins another trophy, I'll no longer be worthy to be her fan!"

"This discussion is over, Yoshino," Sango said sending an intimidating glare at him, "If you're not going to eat your food, go to your room."

Yoshino stopped when he saw his mother's serious face and slowly and silently ate his food. Luka sometimes wished that Yoshino wouldn't push their mother to the point where she would start making faces that scared her. For the rest of the time, the dinner went by silently. Afterwards, Yoshino went to his room and soon had his radio den-den mushi taken. Yoshino couldn't help but feel frustrated. First his grandfather harshly insulted him and then his mother took away what enjoyment he had left. Words couldn't describe how much he hated being limited either be in his talent or his ability to have fun.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"UGH I HATE THIS!" Yoshino screamed as he threw a rock into the ocean in pure rage. The next day, Yoshino went out for a walk and ended up sitting at the edge of the beach shore near Rose Village. He sat at the edge of the beach letting the waves touch his bare feet as he just let his anger float around him like a looming cloud. The boy then looked out towards the vast ocean and reached out as if he wanted to grab something, "This sucks…" He sighed as he put his hand down.

"Well it looks like someone got an earful from his mother," a voice said.

Yoshino found the voice all too familiar to even give a glance, "What do you want, Carl?"

"Well, nice to see you too, Yoshino," Carl said, "I even brought Sonya to try and cheer you up."

"Sonya?" Yoshino asked as he turned around to see Sonya smiling and waving at him.

"Hi, Yoshino," Sonya said, "Is this a bad time?"

"Well…" Yoshino didn't want to send Sonya, of all people, away with his unhappy mood.

"Apparently it is," Carl said before he smirked, "But screw timing. We're friends and we're here to make you happy!"

"I appreciate the thought, guys, but I don't think this is something you can fix." Yoshino said.

"We'll be the judge of that," Sonya said as she and Carl said next to Yoshino after taking their shoes off, "So, what's got you down in the dumps this time?"

"You talk like this is the millionth time I got like this," Yoshino said.

"15th time, if we're accurately counting," Carl said. "Let me guess, you tried to go up to level 100 at level 1, right?"

"That doesn't even make sense," Yoshino said.

"Carl's just trying to joke with you," Sonya said, "What we should be asking is how are you feeling?"

"How am I feeling?" Yoshino asked.

"Luka told us about what happened yesterday," Sonya said, "You blew up like a bomb with your grandpa and your mother took away your radio den-den mushi."

"...Yeah…" Yoshino said.

"Yoshino, we talked about this dozens of times," Carl said, "You gotta stop blowing a fuse whenever people speak the plain truth."

"Even though that truth is absolute nonsense?!" Yoshino asked angrily.

"What your grandfather said may have felt out of line, but it was the only way he was going to get his point across," Sonya said.

"My mom said that to me too, Sonya," Yoshino said.

"And that means that she's right," Sonya said. "You need to be more tolerant of other people's opinions of you."

"Plus, if you keep that attitude up, you'll never get a pretty girl to like you," Carl said with a chuckle.

"Carl, you're not helping," Sonya said.

"What? It's advice from one boy to another," Carl said, "It's a guy thing."

"Honestly, this isn't helping at all," Yoshino said, "Look, guys, I'm thankful for you coming all the way out here to cheer me up, but this is something I just have to get over on my own."

"Are you sure," Sonya asked.

"I'm sure, Sonya," Yoshino said, "Besides, your parents will be angry when they find out you've been hanging out with me."

"Tch, you still hanging on that?" Carl asked.

"Well, Carl, having every parent on the island distrust you for some unknown reason sounds like something I won't be forgetting anytime soon. What do you think?" Yoshino asked sarcastically.

"My dad can say whatever he wants about you, Yoshino, but you're still my friend," Sonya said.

"Sonya, he's more than just your dad," Yoshino said, "Aside from my grandfather, he's also a chief of this island. No one likes a ticked off chief."

"It doesn't matter to me if my father is the chief or even a god," Sonya said placing a hand on Yoshino's shoulder, "I will always be there to help you, Yoshino. Even if everyone else is against me."

"Hey, you're forgetting one other person, Sonya," Carl said, "Yoshino, you know that we have your back too. Everyone in the village can even call you a demon if they want, you'll at least be our demon...did that come across right?"

Yoshino let out a smile and then a laugh, "It sure did. Thank you guys."

"Well that's not the end of the cheering up," Carl said as he got up, "Let's go grab something to eat together."

"That's a great idea," Sonya said as she sat up and brought Yoshino up to his feet, "The rice ball shop should be open by now for lunch. Let's go."

"Well I am a bit hungry," Yoshino said before he shrugged, "Eh, why not."

As the three left the beach, they passed by the docks where the island gets its shipments and visitors. As they walked by, they noticed a new ship docked there.

"Hey, I don't believe I've ever seen a ship like that before." Carl said. "It looks pretty kickass."

"Me neither…" Yoshino said as he took a look at the rather large black ship decorated by shiny pearls.

"It doesn't have a jolly roger, so thankfully these aren't pirates," Sonya said, "Maybe they're travelers."

"They're lucky they're not pirates," Yoshino said, "My mother attacks any ship that has a jolly roger on it even before it reaches the docks. She has an unquenchable hatred for pirates."

Before they could continue on their way, Yoshino payed too much attention to the ship to notice that he bumped into someone.

"Oh, my apologies. I wasn't watching where I was going." A woman's voice said.

"Oh, I'm sorry too," Yoshino said looking at the woman who was Claude A. Claude, "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"Wow what a babe!" Carl shouted.

"Carl! Show some manners!" Sonya said bopping the boy on the head.

"My name is Yoshino Hoshida," Yoshino said, "And these are my friends, Carl and Sonya."

"What nice names you have," Claude said, "My name is Claude Annabelle Claude, but you can call me Claude."

"So Claude, if I may ask, are you new to our island?" Yoshino asked.

"Yes, my friends and I are on here for some relaxing time." Claude said, "I sure hope my friends and I don't become a bother to you people."

"Well you're not pirates so you're halfway there," Sonya said. "You would have been in for a rude awakening with Yoshino's mother if you were."

"His mother?" Claude asked.

"Yeah, Yoshi's mother is none other than Sango Hoshida the Beast Hunter," Carl said. "She eats pirates as a breaktime snack."

"Carl…" Yoshino said.

"You've seen her last fight against that pirate crew last month," Carl said, "She kicked so much ass and looked so pretty at the same time."

"Ugh, one of these days you're gonna mature and be somewhat tolerable, Carl," Sonya said.

"So your mother is the famous Sango Hoshida." Claude said before she smiled, "If it isn't any trouble, could I come to your house later to speak with her?"

"I don't see why not. Mother prefers if new guest wait on there ship so she may converse with them, but I don't believe it'll be trouble if you speak," Yoshino said as he pointed to the house on the far end of the path in the middle of the village, "We live in that house over there."

"Thank you, Yoshino," Claude said as she smiled at the raven haired boy. "I'll be certain to repay you with something special."

Yoshino blushed at how pretty Claude's smile was as the woman left while waving a little affectionately at him.

Carl smiled and patted Yoshino's back, "What techniques did you use to get that beauty to do that to you?! You gotta hook me up with them, Yoshi."

"Stop calling me that, Carl," Yoshino said, "And I didn't do anything."

"Seriously, Carl," Sonya said while shaking her head, "It's always gotta be "girls this" and "girls that" with you, huh?"

"Come on, let's ignore Carl's obsession and get to the rice stand," Yoshino said, "I'm really starving right now." And so the three went on to the rice stand Sonya talked about to have some lunch.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Alright, Sango, draw in…" Sango whispered to herself as she drew the arrow on the Fujin Yumi, "Inhale and exhale, aaaaaaand...fire." She shot the arrow straight at the wooden target and managed to hit the center, "Bullseye!" She shouted before she put a hand over her mouth, "Hehe, like mother, like son."

"Wow! That was amazing, Mom!" Luka cheered from the sidelines. "No wonder Yoshino wants to be like you."

"You flatter me, Luka," Sango said as she patted Luka affectionately, "I wouldn't have made that shot if you weren't cheering me on. Thanks, Luka."

"You're very welcome," Luka said smiling.

That was when they both heard the sound of clapping as they turned around to see Claude applauding with a smile, "Remarkable! Now I know why those kids you on such a high pedestal. Your mastery with the bow is truly something to be praised, Miss Sango."

Sango turned to Claude and instantly glared at her, "Spare me the formalities, Claude. Even if I'm in my best mood, I will not tolerate the sound of your wretched voice."

"Hm…? Mother, do you know her?" Luka asked.

"Luka, dear, why don't you go inside and do something fun for a while?" Sango asked.

"But mother…" Luka whispered.

"Don't worry." Sango said, "Mother will be there to play with you once she's done chatting. Now run along."

Luka stared at her mother worriedly before she nodded, took a glance at Claude, and then went into the Hoshida home.

"Not much on friendly welcomes, are we Sango?" Claude asked with a smile seeing that Sango was still giving her that chilling glare.

"Cut the smiles and this mindset of a good chit-chat," Sango said with venom dripping off of her tone, "What are you doing here? Why are you here?"

"Come now, dear, my friends and I are only here to enjoy our vacation on this island. Is that so bad?" Claude asked.

"I will not tolerate any of your charades, Marie Annabelle Claude, also known as 'The Banshee'." Sango said, "Straw Hat Luffy told me everything about you and your crew's ways of working so you can't fool me. I recognize you from the wanted posters as well. You may have a 30 million beri bounty on your head, but that only gets you so far when it comes to these waters."

Claude let out a chilling evil giggle as she smiled at Sango, "Ah...so is Straw Hat around here because I'm dying to meet him." She said.

"You expect me to tell you?" Sango asked, "Luffy told me you were obnoxiously dogging his family for the past eight years. So if you plan on messing with his children, you've made the biggest mistake of your life."

"My, your son's friend was right when he said you would attack me without remorse." Claude said, "You're right in some aspects. I originally was after the two Straw Hat daughters...but Straw Hat protected them so well and there was that horrible incident. I'm sure you've heard of that oh-so tragic incident three months ago. Monkey D. Merry getting brutally murdered. A sword stabbed straight through her body," She said as she placed the back end of her right hand over her forehead in an attempt to look remorseful, "Oh how saddening. All the poor thing wanted to do was live a happy life with her loving family."

"Talk about her death with that tone one more time…" Sango said as the light on the Fujin Yumi began to glow wildly.

"Of course," Claude said, "I wouldn't want to piss off a beast hunter as famous as yourself."

"Now tell me, how did you know about what happened with Monkey D. Merry?!" Sango asked.

"Like you said, Sango darling, I've been dogging that family for the past eight years." Claude said, "It's only natural I be in the little loop da loop of information floating about, not like it's any of your concern."

"Don't think that response is going to magically clear you of my suspension. For all we know, you could be the cause of her death." Sango said.

"Oh my, and what led you to that claim?" Claude asked.

"Who else could be able to explain Merry's death better than you just did?" Sango asked.

"Well, rumor mills are a thing." Claude said smiling her evil smile.

"And just like that you expect me to let you waltz around my island? Think again, Claude." Sango growled, "Why the hell did you come here anyway?"

"I just told you. My crew and are are here to relax. Nothing more, nothing less.' Claude explained.

"Stop with the bullshit lies." Sango said, "I know damn well that your status as a Siren pirate lets you get your way on many islands. If you are intending on attacking the island neighboring the current Pirate King's home, you're asking for hell to knock on your door."

"My, my, quite the intimidating speech. I can feel my knees shaking...not." Claude said, "I'm only here to make sure things are running smoothly."

"Whatever you have planned. Is that what you're talking about?" Sango asked.

"It's not healthy to assume everything, Sango. I have absolutely no plan because attacking you is not what I'd want to do. I don't want to attract Luffy's attention...yet." Claude explained, "All that I am requesting is for my crew to at least stay on the island for perhaps two days at least."

"Request denied." Sango said, "Having you people here right now puts my home in grave danger and I will not let you stay here a second longer."

"Perhaps I should rephrase my request." Claude said as she leant forward and whispered, "You will allow my crew refuge on this island...or something terrible will happen and we will not be able to stop it."

"Is this another pathetic attempt to intimidate me?" Sango asked, "Did you forget who I am?"

"Like I said: It's not healthy to assume everything, Sango." Claude said, "I have a psychic on my crew and that is what she predicted. My crew will make sure your island is safe and sound, but we only need to stay for at least two days. I'm sure that you would choose the well being of the people who live their peaceful lives over your stubborn hatred for pirates."

"...I will tell you this once and I will not repeat myself: Leave Aroma Island now." Sango said. "I'd die first before I have to rely on the likes of you to protect what is precious to me."

"...That...is unfortunate." Claude said as her white hair covered her eyes, "Very well. At your command, my crew and I will leave this island." She said as she turned around to leave, "...One more thing: Be careful of that son of yours. We wouldn't want a death in the family." She said before she walked away.

Sango wanted, more than anything, to shoot the siren in the back for that one threat, but she didn't give in to her rage and recalled the light of the Fujin Yumi. The woman let out a sigh, "No...no more of my loved ones will suffer the same fate." She said as she stared at her wedding ring, "Elcrest…"

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Wow, those rice balls were delicious," Yoshino said as he, Carl, and Sonya make their way to Yoshino's home.

"I told you guys that rice stand was amazing," Sonya said.

"Amazing? Words can't even describe how delicious those rice balls were," Carl said, "I could end up never having enough of them."

"And we have you to thank, Sonya," Yoshino said, "I might also take my mom and sister there when I get the chance."

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Yoshino," Sonya said with a smile, "Let us know if you're feeling bad again."

"Yeah, and we'll be there to pick you back up." Carl said.

"Thanks, guys," Yoshino said with a smile, "You're the best." After they reached a certain point, they parted ways. On his way to his house, he ran into Claude who was on her way back to her ship. "Claude. Did you meet my mom?"

"Yes, and I must say, Yoshino, she's quite a temperamental one," Claude said with a smile

"Hehe, is she?" Yoshino asked, "Well you are a stranger to her, no offense. She should warm up to you if you gain her trust."

"Oh...I'm afraid I won't ever be able to do that," Claude said as she knelt down beside Yoshino, "Do me a favor, Yoshino."

Yoshino blushed at how close the woman was to him, "A-a favor?" He asked.

"Seehehe, keep going at your dream to wield the Fujin Yumi," Claude said as she gave a quick peck on Yoshino's cheek. "I'll be rooting for you. Keep in touch~!" And then she waved good bye before she let out an unseeable evil smirk.

Yoshino was speechless as he rubbed his blushing cheek, "Wh-wha…?" He couldn't help but feel shocked that a woman kissed him, " _Wait, how did she know about my dream?"_ He thought before he shook off the odd thought and continued home.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"I'm home," Yoshino called as he entered the house to see Sango and Luka preparing to cook dinner.

"Hi, Yoshino," Luka said, "What have you been doing all day?"

"Oh well...I was just blowing off some steam at the beach," Yoshino said.

"Well I hope you didn't dump it all on someone else," Sango said.

"I didn't, Mom," Yoshino said, "In fact, Sonya and Carl came by to cheer me up. We had something small to eat on."

"Oh I see, well I hope you'll be hungry for dinner then," Sango said.

"Of course," Yoshino said, "Also, did something happen with that Claude lady?"

"What do you mean?" Sango asked.

"Well, she just told me that she had some trouble talking with you." Yoshino said.

"Yes, we did," Sango said, "But it's nothing to be concerned about. Just your usual girl to girl talk."

"Are you sure, Mom?" Yoshino asked, "...You're not hiding anything, are you?"

"...No," Sango said.

"Mom…" Yoshino was about to push her to give him a straight answer, but Luka interrupted.

"Yoshino, do you want help us cook today's dinner." Luka said, "This one's a special deep fried chicken with tasty barbecue and seasonings on it."

"Yes, be a dear and help your sister cook the chicken," Sango said.

"This is the thing you wanted to do, isn't it, Mom?" Yoshino asked feeling like he was going to hurl.

"Yoshino, I said I would drop doing that to you," Sango said, "We're also making your favorite: Pasta with broccoli and ricotta specialized for vegetarians only."

"Oh thank goodness," Yoshino cheered as he hugged his mother and sister. "You guys do know the concept of having mercy."

"Keep up that sass and I might actually do the thing," Sango said.

"Okay," Yoshino said.

"Okay, I keep hearing you both say that," Luka said, "What are you talking about?"

"Right, what we're talking about is me tying Yoshino to the chair and forcing him to watch me eat meat," Sango said with a smile, "It's torture for the vegetarian."

"Let's not talk about it, please," Yoshino said shuttering, "I still have nightmares for the last time you did this, Mom."

"Oh it wasn't that bad," Sango said giggling a little putting on the medium pot of rice to boil it, "Now help your sister clean the chicken while I start the rice."

Yoshino nodded as he went to stand next his little sister as he helped her rinse and skin the chicken off. When cleaned he helped her debone the meat to place it into the bowl of flour than seasonings. When each piece of chicken was covered in flour and seasoning he passed the chicken to his mother who then placed the pieces into the pot of boiling oil. After letting the chicken boil in the oil until they all turned a perfect golden brown Sango plucked them out of the fryer and placed them on a plate.

"This food smells so good~!" Luka said as she mixed up the barbeque sauce with Yoshino's help.

"Yes, they do. Now when they cool off put the sauce on them so they can marinate while I finish Yoshino's dinner," Sango said

"...Hm…" Yoshino's mind began to become wrapped up in deep thought.

"What is it, Yoshino?" Sango asked when she noticed her son's daze.

"...Mom, I'm curious. Where did you get your cooking skills from?" Yoshino asked.

"My cooking skills…" Sango said as her gaze went to the ceiling, "Well...I learned it on my own. It's something anyone can do."

"Well, that's true," Yoshino said, "But...did you learn when you were young? Or when Luka and I came along?"

" _No matter how many times I tell him, he still won't stay quiet…"_ Sango thought before she sighed, "I learned it from your father."

"Papa?" Luka asked.

"That's right. In actuality, your father was a better cook than I am. I can still feel the taste of that first dinner he cooked for me." Sango said smiling fondly.

"...Did he love you, Mom?" Yoshino asked, "...Did he love us?"

"What do you mean 'did'? He still loves his family," Sango said.

"...Then where is he?" Yoshino asked, "Everytime I see Sonya with her father, I wonder about mine and about where he is. He...he didn't leave when you had us, did he?"

"I'd...rather not talk about this, Yoshino," Sango said looking away.

"He did, didn't he?!" Yoshino asked, "If so, why? Why did he leave us before we even got to know him? I don't even see any pictures of him in this house unless you're hoarding all of them in your room. You must know _something_ , don't you Mother?"

"...No I do not." Sango said, "Even if I did, I'm afraid I wouldn't tell you."

Yoshino's eyes widen in shock, "What? Why not?!"

"Now's not the time to talk about your father, child." Sango said, "The food will get cold."

"When is it _ever_ going to be a good time to talk about him? You always brush it off whenever I ask about Dad. What is the worst that'll happen if you just come right out and say the truth?!" Yoshino yelled getting upset.

"Y-Yoshino…" Luka said getting frightened by Yoshino's angry yelling especially when it is about her father.

Sango gave Yoshino a stern glare. "We will not have this fight again in front of your sister. Now drop the subject and go sit at the table."

Yoshino meet his mother's stare wanting to yell back at her, but seeing the look on his sister's face made him bite his tongue. "I've lost my appetite...I'm going to my room." he said as he marched past his mother to head to his room.

"Yoshino!" Luka shouted about to run after her brother.

"No, Luka," Sango said calmly, "Let him be angry."

"But, Mom…" Luka said.

"Please, eat your dinner," Sango said, "We worked so hard on it."

"Why?" Luka asked.

"..."

"Why won't you talk about Papa?" Luka asked.

"Luka...it's...not as easy as it sounds," Sango said. "Please, I need to find the right time to tell you both. I'm still recovering…"

"Recovering?" Luka asked.

After that, neither Sango nor Luka didn't say another let another word leave their lips as they silently ate their food and went to their rooms.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

After he closed the door leading out of his room, Yoshino lied down on his bed and glared at the ceiling. He clenched his fist tightly and pounded his soft bed in a fit of rage.

"Damn it! Damn it! Why won't she understand?! It's like she's okay that the father of the family isn't here!" He shouted, "All she wants is to just stay here on this empty island and do absolutely nothing with her life! Oh, what I wouldn't give to get the hell off this island and find my father. I'm sure _he_ will be considerate enough to tell me the damn truth!"

But he was snapped out of his fit when he heard a knock on his bedroom door.

"Yoshino?" Luka's voice called.

"C-Come in." Yoshino said as Luka entered the room with his rice bean sprout dinner.

"I know that you've lost your appetite, but it would put my heart at ease if you could find some bit of it so you could eat. It is you favorite meal, big brother." Luka said.

"...Thank you, Luka." Yoshino said with a small smile as he accepted the food, "...I owe you an apology."

"An apology?" Luka asked.

"Don't act like you don't know. I knew better than to mention Dad in front of you. You always were the most sensitive in our family." Yoshino said.

"It's true, I am very sensitive." Luka said, "But...you were right to be angry at Mama."

"How so?" Yoshino asked.

"Well...to be honest, I'm kinda mad at Mama too," Luka said feeling hurt that she actually said that, "You were angry at Mother for not saying anything about Papa because you knew how I've always felt my whole life."

"Yeah, but I was out-of-line. I made you cry again…" Yoshino said. "I shouldn't have known better than to complain about not having a Dad, when you didn't have one too plus a Mom or even a sibling."

"I don't care about that, because I have the best brother and Mama right here," Luka declared, "And don't feel bad about being mad. Even older brothers have their puffy moments, but deep down, they're the sweetest people...at least that's what my friends tell me."

Yoshino smiled and patted Luka on the head, "And little sisters can be quiet the voices of reason."

Luka smiled at him. "It's what we do best!" she said hugging him tightly. "I'm sure Mama will tell us about Papa someday and why he left us...until then let's just stay a family okay?"

"Sure. No matter what happens, I won't let anything set us apart." Yoshino said as he returned the hug his sister gave him.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Sango sat in her room staring at a section of the wall that had photo's of her with a man. One of them being when they had their first date, another when they married, and the last on their honeymoon. Tears fell down from her eyes as she hugged her legs, "Oh, Elcrest...how can I tell them? How am I supposed to tell them?! I'm so scared…"

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

On the next day, Yoshino had gone to rest at the meat shop so he could get time to himself before Sango could talk to him. He needed time to sort out his feelings before facing her again.

"Ugh, is this what my life is gonna be?" Yoshino asked himself, "Just me moping around after one argument?"

"Hey, Yoshino," A brown haired man in his 40's wearing sunglasses called from the counter.

Yoshino went over to the counter, "Hey, Brenden. How's business?"

"I'm more concerned about you than my business," Brenden said, "Aren't you a vegetarian? Why in the world would you be anywhere near my store, let alone surround yourself with meat products?"

"Sorry for making you worry," Yoshino said with a sigh, "I just had another fight with my Mom and I'm hiding out here so she won't find me. I need time to sort out my feelings."

"You asked her about your father, didn't you?" Brenden asked as Yoshino nodded, "Listen, kid, not having a father be there to watch you grow hurts a lot, I know, but aren't you grateful that you have a mother to do that for him?"

"Yes I am, but that's not my point," Yoshino said, "I just...want to at least know if my dad is even alive and thinking about his family, but my mom won't give me information on at least _that_. What kind of mother would hide things from her own children?! My grandfather, who is suppose to be my dad's dad, won't say anything!"

Brenden could see the look of absolute frustration on the boy's face. He looked around to see if anyone was close before he began, "You didn't hear this from me, Yoshino." He said procking a confused look from Yoshino, "Your mother doesn't want to tell you about your father because she simply doesn't want you to know. She doesn't want to tell you because her heart is still broken."

"Still broken? What do you mean?" Yoshino asked.

"No one told you this, but when Sango first came to this island with you and your sis, most of us could tell that something was wrong with her," Brenden said, "She had this face of a broken woman despite having two of her kids alongside her. I don't know if you have noticed, but on some days her eyes are red indicating that she has been doing a lot of crying."

"Now that I think about it," Yoshino said remembering the mornings when he would notice something off about his mother, "She's usually like that in the mornings."

"Yeah, some rumors have gone around saying that Sango might have been dumped by her husband," Brenden said.

"But...that's just a rumor," Yoshino said. "Besides, my mom still wears her wedding ring. Surely she would have gotten rid of it when my dad left her."

"True, but there are women in the world who, and bless their hearts, won't accept being left by the one they love and keep the ring out of hope that their husband will come back to them," Brenden said, "I'm just laying out every possible answer for you, Yoshino. I don't know Sango anymore than you do, but I will say that she's a good woman and you're lucky to have her as your mother."

"She is," Yoshino said with a fond smile, "Even though she would never allow me to do what I wanted, it was all to keep me safe. I feel like deep down she doesn't want me to use a dangerous weapon, but...she's the kind of mother who would love to see her children grow strong. I'm happy to have her."

"Good to hear," Brenden said, "That's the first good thing I've heard all day."

"Why's that?" Yoshino asked.

"It's nothing you should be concerned about, but last night my stock of elk meat was ransacked by a bunch of wolves. Evening time is going to be hell for me without the key cooking ingredients to sell." Brenden said.

"Well say no more, Brenden," Yoshino said, "You have a hunter here willing to head off and get your meat for you."

"Are you sure about that, Yoshino?" Brenden asked, "I hear that no one is allowed in the forest as ordered by both Hayu and Mr. Tsuya."

"So what should I do? Let you go out of business?" Yoshino asked. "I may be a vegetarian, but I won't just stand by and let you lose your hard work. I'll go to elk forest and get you as much elk as you need."

Brenden thought about it for a moment. He didn't want to send a kid all alone in the forest, but since Sango wasn't around to help, he had no choice, "Alright, but you better be careful out there. Your mother will eat me alive if she find out that I sent you out there."

"Got it," Yoshino said as he went to leave, "You can count on me."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Sango went to Hayu's dojo after being summoned by him. She sat across from him with a serious look on her face.

"You summoned me, Master?" Sango said.

"Yes, Sango…" Hayu said, "A great darkness is lurking deep inside the Insect Forest. It's that same darkness from nine years ago."

Sango's eyes widened knowing exactly what had happened those years ago as she clenched her fists in anger, "He's back. Then I shall leave immediately."

"Sango," Hayu said stopping Sango, "I can feel your anger and the distraught in your heart from here. You haven't recovered from that incident, have you?"

"I-I did, Master," Sango said, "Please, let me have this chance."

"It isn't like you to lie to me," Hayu said, "If Elcrest couldn't defeat that man, what hope do you think you have?"

"Elcrest entrusted me to finish what he couldn't," Sango said, "You and I both know why he came here, of all places. If you think I will sit by and allow him to finish corrupting my child-"

"I never said that," Hayu said, "This is a powerful opponent we are talking about. What if you face him and died? Would you place that burden on Yoshino?"

"No," Sango said before she stood up, "Because I won't die. I may not have fully mastered the Fujin Yumi like Elcrest has, but I will win this battle for Elcrest, Yoshino, and myself."

"...Go," Hayu said, "Do not give into your anger and let your soul fuel the bow's power. I have faith in you, Sango."

"I will not fail, Master," Sango said.

Sango went back home to prepare for her mission. She had the Fujin Yumi on her back and several other weapons.

"Mama?" A voice called as Sango looked over to Luka.

"Hello, Luka," Sango said focused on her weapons.

"Are you going out today?" Luka asked.

"Yes, your mother has an important job today," Sango said.

"Is it dangerous?" Luka asked.

"No, not at all," Sango said not wanting to make her daughter worry, "I'll be back real soon to cook dinner."

"Okay…" Luka said looking a little sad.

"Hey, what's the matter," Sango asked as she stopped to look at her daughter sensing that something is wrong.

"Mama...are you still mad at us?" Luka asked.

"Mad?" Sango asked a bit confused before she put two and two together, "Oh…"

"Yoshino was pretty mad about you not telling us about Papa, but he told me he was just frustrated," Luka said as tears start to form in her eyes, "To tell the truth, I was mad at you too. I *sniff* I know that I have you, Mama, but I want a Papa too! I want *sniff* a full family that loves each other! That's why *sniff* it always hurts seeing you and Yoshino fight even for a short time!"

Sango dropped every weapon on herself body in order to give her daughter the tightest hug she could give, "I'm so sorry, Luka. All of the fighting and arguing could have been avoided if I just told you what happened all those years ago...but...I wasn't ready."

"What do you mean, Mama?" Luka asked.

Sango wiped away the tears that were streaming down her cheeks before she smiled, "I promise both you and Yoshino: Once I get back from my job, I will tell you everything. Everything about your father."

"Y-you will?" Luka asked.

"Yes," Sango said with a nod, "And over dinner too. It'll be a special family dinner...and I hope you both can forgive me for neglecting your feelings all this time."

"Mama…" Luka said.

"Okay, I have to go now," Sango said as she re-equipped her weapons and went for the door, "I'll see you soon." She said before she left the house, " _Just you wait...you will pay for causing me and my family so much pain…"_ She thought.

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile in the Elk Forest, Yoshino had just killed two elk with his training arrow.

"Perfect," Yoshino said as he examined his two kills, "This should help Brenden a little more and that tiger doesn't seem to be around. Must be full for today."

Yoshino began to happily drag the two dead elk back to Rose village with a smile on his face, "And Mom's not around too. This hunt was just too perfect for words to describe. Huh?" Yoshino then suddenly stopped when he saw a figure standing in front of him.

The figure seemed to look like a girl around his age. Her face was completely covered by the hood of her black cloak. The girl gave off an ominous aura that was concerning to Yoshino, but the most concerning and most ominous was that the girl's left sleeve didn't have a hand resting there yet her right did.

"Um...hello?" Yoshino greeted the girl, but she didn't say another word, "What are you doing out here all alone? This place is dangerous."

"You are cursed...just like me," The girl said as she slowly walked towards Yoshino.

"I'm sorry, what?" Yoshino asked.

"There is a darkness inside of you," the girl said as she stared at him with her black eyes, "You're just like me, Yoshino."

Yoshino's eyes widen in shock as he took a few steps back, "How do you know my name?"

"I've been watching you," the girl said, "You would always come into this forest despite your mom telling you not to."

"...Okay, well it's not really nice to spy on people," Yoshino said, "Why don't you tell me your name then?"

"...I'm sorry, but I can't," the girl said.

"Oh don't be like that," Yoshino said, "It's proper manners to introduce yourself after you know someone's name."

"...Yoshino, I'm here to warn you," the girl said.

"Warn me?" Yoshino asked.

"Your curse is going to cause you to hurt someone dear to you," the girl said, "I don't know when, but it will happen unless you come with me."

"Listen, girl, is this some kind of prank because I really hate pranks with a burning passion," Yoshino said as he started get annoyed. "Why in the world would I go with you when you never gave me your name and where exactly?"

"I cannot tell you everything you wish to know," The girl said.

"Then my answer is no," Yoshino said, "Not to mention how bogus this curse story of yours sounds. A curse that turns people against each other? That sounds like something out of a crappy story."

"Yoshino, I want to help you," the girl said.

"Sure," Yoshino said, "Which of these elk do you want to help me carry?" He asked as the girl went silent, "If you're not gonna help me then you might as well head back home or wherever you came from. Again, it isn't safe out here for either of us. So goodbye. It was nice to talk, even if it was weird." He said before he left before the girl could say anything.

"...It's going to happen again," the girl said.

"As I told you, child, kids like him wouldn't listen to any warning," Said another robed figure above the girl. This figure resembled that of a lean man with his face shrouded by the darkness of his hood.

"But…"

"Not another word," the man said as he jumped down from the tree branch he sat on, "Just like Kadiri and Ibuki, he will learn that the Zenith's Curse is very real and will take the life of those he loves...just like you."

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Sango walked deep into Insect Forest with the Fujin Yumi and its arrow ready to be shot. The beast hunting woman remained in a prepared battle stance as she searched around the forest still sensing the all-too-familiar, dark stopped and then look up at the slightly dying tree in front of her.

"Show yourself now," She shouted, "I know that you are here."

Shortly after Sango's demand, a lone figure appeared from the darkness of the lone tree branch and jumped down and landed in front of her. The figure was a man wore a black, hooded coat with dark red gloves and black boots. His hair had a silver color and was tied in a single, long, ponytail that went to the middle of his back.

"Sango Hoshida," the silver haired man said as he opened his yellow eyes to look at Sango, "So you are now able to sense my presence. Quite impressive for the one who owns the title Beast Hunter. In fact, I have a feeling you do more than just hunt beasts."

Sango glared viciously at the man as she raised the Fujin Yumi ready to strike, "How dare you show your murderous face on my home island, Validar?

"Home island, you say," Validar asked before he chuckled, "You and I both know that this backwater island was never your home."

"Shut up! I don't want to hear your nonsense!" Sango shouted angrily, "What are you doing here?"

"Now don't play this game of ignorance, Sango," Validar said, "It is unlike you. Especially if it is about your own son."

That statement made Sango's blood boil since she knows exactly what Validar is after when it comes to Yoshino. "I am Yoshino's mother, so if you think I am just going to let you lay a hand on him, there will be hell to pay."

"Hehehe, you're threat doesn't bother me in the slightest," Validar said with a smirk, "Because I still remember the last time I was able to lay a hand on Yoshino."

"Runa!" Sango shouted immediately releasing a large Fujin arrow towards Validar who quickly jumped out of the way and watched as the arrow flew straight through the tree leaving a huge gap in the middle.

"It is good to see that the Fujin Yumi's raw power lies intact," Validar said, "Imagine that but in the hands of Yoshino Hoshida, the one entrusted with Zenith's Curse."

"Entrusted?!" Sango shouted angrily, "You _forced_ that damn curse on him after you stole him from me! What my husband had to do in order to stop the curse from corrupting Yoshino, is all because of you!"

"Elcrest Hoshida," Validar said as his eyes grew cold as ice, "So that's why Yoshino didn't come to me or my master all these years. No matter, if Yoshino isn't going to fulfill his destiny, then I shall have to force it upon him."

"Validar, you don't deserve a warning, nor do you deserve any mercy for me," Sango shouted as she prepared for another attack, "You will die here and now for what you've done to Elcrest, to me, and to Yoshino!"

"What I have done for Yoshino all those years ago is only to guide him into a darker yet beautiful life," Validar said, "Both you and your husband tried to deny my master's plan for the child and for that," From his sleeves, Validar let out two red hooks that looked to be embedded in heat. The hooks were chained together with a black wristband that is barely noticeable unless looked at closely, "I will sentence you to death, Sango Hoshida."

* * *

 **Jurabi: So? How did you guys like this backstory chapter? To be honest, I really enjoyed writing it because I was doing something entirely new by dedicating an entire chapter to a backstory and it's only the first part. The second part is going to be a thrill to write. I really loved writing Sango too. Usually, you'd expect her to be your typical mother character, but I went for more when it comes to her character so get used to her! You're gonna see way more stuff with her! :D**

 **Anyways, I really am glad that you enjoyed this chapter, if not let me know why in the reviews. If you really loved this story and would want more of it, please leave a favorite and a follow. Thank you for reading and I'll see you next chapter.**


End file.
